Skip to main content

Full text of "Manual of self-knowledge and Christian perfection"

See other formats


CjJ3 

M/ 

COLLEGE 


MANUAL  OF  SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

AND 

CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION 


MANUAL 

OF 

SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

AND 

CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION 

COMPILED   FROM   VARIOUS    SOURCES   BY 

REV.    JOHN    HENRY,    C.SS.R. 


REGIS 

BIBL.  MAJ. 
(X>LLEGQ/ 


NEW  YORK       CINCINNATI      CHICAGO 

BROTHERS 


PRINTERS    TO   THE 
HOLY  APOSTOLIC   SEE 


PUBLISHERS  OF 
BENZIGER'S  MAGAZINE 


1913 


Cum  permtssu  Supctiorum. 

Wibii  ©bstat. 

REMY  LAFORT 

Censor  Librorum 

•ffmprfmatur. 

>!«  JOHN  CARDINAL  FARLEY 

Archbishop  of  New  York 

NEW  YORK,  January  31,  1913 


COfYRIGHT,    1913,    BY  BENZIGER   BROTHERS 


PREFACE 


KIND  READER,  here  you  have  a 
small  manual.  The  subjects 
contained  in  the  first  part  were 
treated  in  various  conferences  to 
married  men  as  well  as  in  retreats  to 
religious  communities.  In  every  in 
stance  they  were  received  very  favor 
ably.  This  eventually  suggested  the 
idea  that  they  might  prove  useful 
to  a  larger  circle.  With  this  view 
they  were  arranged  for  publication. 
It  is  hoped  that  in  the  present  form 
they  may  prove  useful  to  parents,  in 
structors  of  youth,  those  charged  with 
the  care  of  the  sick  and  invalids,  and 


6  Preface 

even  for  the  private  use  of  all,  espe 
cially  those  that  experience  a  vocation 
to  the  religious  or  ecclesiastical  state. 
May  Our  Lord  and  His  blessed 
Mother  bestow  a  blessing  on  all  that 
read  this  manual  and  on 

THE  COMPILER. 

Feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes, 
February  II,  1913. 


CONTENTS 


PART  I. -SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

PACK 

Preface  5 

Introduction     .         .         .         .         •       9 

Temperament 19 

The  Phlegmatic  Temperament  .  .'28 
The  Melancholic  Temperament .  .  38 
The  Sanguinic  Temperament  „  .47 
The  Choleric  Temperament  .  .  54 
Corollary 58 

PART  II.— CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION 
Perfection  Consists  in  the  Love  of  God  65 
The  Perfection  of  Charity  Consists  in 

Conformity  to  the  Will  of  God    .     73 

vii 


viii  Contents 

Means  to  Acquire  Christian  Perfection     94 

1.  The  Desire  of  Perfection    .         .     94 

2.  Moral  Necessity  of  Mental  Prayer  1 1 2 

3.  Method  of  Mental  Prayer  .         .140 
Conclusion       .  ,    166 


INTRODUCTION 


"  J~\OMINE  noverim  Te  noverim 
•L^S  me  ut  diligam  Te  et  oderim 
me."  O  Lord,  let  me  know  Thee; 
let  me  know  myself,  that  I  may 
love  Thee  and  detest  myself." 
This  petition  of  St.  Augustine 
is  the  leading  idea  of  this  manual 
viz:  Self-knowledge  and  the  love  of 
God.  It  does  not  pretend  to  be  any 
thing  new.  It  is  a  compilation  of 
what  is  found  treated  by  different  au 
thors.  The  matter,  therefore,  is  not 
new.  "Nothing  under  the  sun  is 
new,"  says  the  Wise  Man  (Eccles.  i. 
10).  It  is  always  best  to  repeat  old 
truths  in  another  and  attractive  form. 


io  Introduction 

The  eminent  Jesuit,  Father  P. 
Judde,  says  no  science  is  so  necessary 
to  man  as  self-knowledge.  No  one 
will  deny  that  self-knowledge  is 
valuable.  By  this  means  man 
learns  to  know  his  evil  inclinations. 
This  science  teaches  him  which 
inclinations  he  must  foster.  Self- 
knowledge  discloses  to  man  what 
he  has  acquired,  as  well  as  what  is 
yet  to  be  attained,  in  the  fulfilment  of 
his  duties  and  obligations.  It  must 
be  evident  to  every  one  that  self- 
knowledge  is  a  great  aid  to  man  in  all 
his  undertakings.  For  is  it  not  en 
couraging  to  know  our  capabilities? 
Self-knowledge  is  equally  valuable  in 
guarding  against  our  shortcomings. 

If  self-knowledge  is  valuable  in 
general,  it  is  necessary  in  the  spiritual 
life.  Everything  that  relates  to  the 
soul  is  of  paramount  importance. 


Introduction  1 1 

We  know  the  soul  is  created  by  God 
and  for  God.  Is  it  not  a  necessity  to 
know  we  are  walking  the  way  of  the 
Lord?  Again,  how  will  we  be  able 
to  recognize  that  we  are  walking  the 
way  of  the  Lord,  except  by  self- 
knowledge?  Certainly,  a  thorough 
self-knowledge  is  here  demanded. 
For,  in  order  to  walk  the  way  of  the 
Lord  securely,  as  Father  Judde  adds, 
a  spiritual  director  is  required.  Our 
Lord  Himself  tells  us  no  one  can  be 
his  own  safe  director.  He  says  it 
would  be  a  blind  man  leading  the 
blind  and  both  would  fall  into  a  pit. 
To  this  spiritual  guide  we  must  mani 
fest  our  interior.  Now,  this  cannot 
be  done  unless  we  know  the  interior 
of  our  souls.  That  a  spiritual  guide  is 
needed  all  spiritual  writers  concede. 
It  is  the  only  means  to  become  secure. 
Celebrated  philosophers  arrived  at 


12  Introduction 

this  truth  (namely,  the  necessity  of 
self-knowledge)  by  the  light  of  rea 
son  alone.  "Nosce  teipsum"  was  the 
oft-inculcated  injunction  of  the  an 
cients.  As  an  example,  Rev.  G.  Dies- 
sel,  C.SS.R.,  cites  Pythagoras,  who 
died  in  the  year  507  before  Christ. 
This  great  philosopher  had  numerous 
disciples.  He  demanded  that  his  dis 
ciples  in  all  tranquillity  should  twice  a 
day  propound  to  themselves  these 
questions:  What  did  you  do  this 
day?  How  did  you  do  it?  What 
have  you  omitted  to  do? 

In  a  word,  all  spiritual  writers  are 
agreed  on  the  necessity  of  self-knowl 
edge.  Why  do  they,  one  and  all, 
insist  on  a  daily  and  serious  self- 
examination?  It  is  because  a  daily 
and  serious  examination  will  produce 
true  self-knowledge.  True  self- 
knowledge  gives  us  a  clear  under- 


Introduction  13 

standing  of  our  wretchedness  and 
helplessness.  It  imparts  to  us  the 
conviction  that  of  ourselves  we  are 
but  misery  and  sin.  It  also  gives  us 
a  clear  knowledge  of  the  emotions 
and  passions  that  principally  influence 
our  actions.  This  knowledge  will  en 
able  us  to  lay  aside  our  faults.  Surely 
we  must  be  acquainted  with  the  faults 
and  failings  to  which  we  are  prone 
if  we  wish  to  know  what  is  reprehen 
sible  in  our  conduct. 

More  than  this :  True  self-knowl 
edge  is  one-half  of  the  way  on  the 
road  to  perfection.  The  better  we 
know  our  shortcomings  the  more  we 
will  feel  incited  to  be  freed  from 
them.  The  greater  the  exertion  of 
man  on  this  point,  the  greater  his 
progress.  This  caused  the  author  of 
the  Imitation  to  say  that  one's  prog 
ress  is  commensurate  with  the  vio- 


14  Introduction 

lence  one  does  to  himself.  By  remov 
ing  all  obstacles,  true  self-knowledge 
opens  the  way  to  union  with  God  by 
charity. 

With  the  view  of  facilitating  self- 
knowledge,  the  character  traits,  both 
favorable  and  unfavorable,  of  the  dif 
ferent  temperaments  are  treated  in 
the  first  part  of  this  little  manual. 
Yet  only  the  psychical  traits  of  the 
temperaments  will  be  treated.  In 
other  words,  mention  is  made  of  the 
manner  the  human  soul  is  influenced 
by  temperament.  Nothing  will  be 
said  as  to  whether  these  tempera 
ments  proceed  from  a  lymphatic  or 
nervous  or  pulmonary  or  other  sys 
tem.  This  eliminates  the  physical 
traits  of  temperament.  This  part  is 
left  to  scientists.  It  was  also  thought 
sufficient  to  treat  of  four  tempera 
ments  only:  viz.,  the  phlegmatic,  mel- 


Introduction  15 

ancholic,  sanguinic  and  choleric.  It  is 
possible  to  group  the  main  character 
traits  under  these  four  divisions.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  discuss  whether  this 
division  of  temperament  is  correct. 
Some  authors  prefer  a  different  classi 
fication  of  temperaments.  Their  di 
vision  of  temperament  is  certainly 
interesting.  But  the  above  is  the  most 
accepted  one.  It  is  also  the  oldest. 
On  this  account  it  was  deemed  suf 
ficient  for  the  purpose  of  this 
manual. 

In  this  connection  Pastoral  The 
ology  has  not  been  overlooked.  After 
the  unfavorable  and  favorable  traits 
of  temperament  have  been  given,  the 
assistance  of  Pastoral  Theology  is 
added.  To  every  temperament  is 
added  the  method  of  direction  proper 
to  the  temperament.  This  is  done 
with  a  view  of  benefiting  a  greater 


1 6  Introduction 

number  of  readers.  Confessors  have 
ample  guides  in  Pastoral  Theology. 
Not  so  with  others.  This  manual  may 
be  of  assistance  to  others,  besides  can 
didates  for  the  priesthood  and  the  re 
ligious  life.  There  are  many  engaged 
in  the  education  of  youth.  These  con 
stantly  meet  diverse  and  opposing 
dispositions  in  various  pupils.  This 
part  may  enable  them  to  be  of  greater 
assistance  to  their  pupils.  Then,  toov 
parents  ofttimes  perceive  different 
dispositions  among  their  children. 
True  it  is,  they  are  members  of  the 
same  family.  But  oh!  the  difference 
of  likes  and  dislikes  in  the  various 
members  of  the  same  family.  This 
part  of  the  treatise  may  possibly  fur 
nish  parents  valuable  aid.  The  same 
benefit  may  accrue  to  those  in  charge 
of  the  sick  and  invalids.  Who  is 
there  that  does  not  know  how  difficult 


Introduction  17 

is  the  proper  care  of  the  sick  and 
invalids ! 

The  second  part  of  the  manual 
treats  of  Christian  perfection.  The 
first  part  has  opened  the  way.  Self- 
knowledge  is  the  beacon  light.  It 
directs  the  soul  to  the  great  truth  that 
all  its  happiness  consists  in  union  with 
God  by  charity.  "Restless  is  the 
heart  of  man  until  it  rests  in  God'* 
says  St.  Augustine.  This  part  of  the 
manual  briefly  indicates  in  what 
Christian  perfection  consists  and  the 
principal  means  to  be  employed  to 
secure  it.  Part  two  is  taken  from  the 
ascetical  books  of  St.  Alphonsus. 
Some  chapters  were  translated  from 
the  second  revised  edition  of  "Schule 
der  Christlichen  V ollkommenheit"  by 
Rev.  Andrew  Hellbach,  C.SS.R. 
Other  chapters  were  simply  compiled 
from  "The  True  Spouse  of  Christ/' 


1 8  Introduction 

by  St.  Alphonsus  himself.  It  is  not 
possible  to  find  a  safer  and  more  zeal 
ous  guide.  Those  who  desire  longer 
treatises  on  Christian  perfection  and 
the  means  thereto  can  easily  consult 
the  writings  of  this  great  saint. 
Where  additions  were  taken  from  the 
writings  of  other  writers  the  reader 
will  always  find  that  special  mention 
is  made.  May  this  little  manual  now 
go  forth  with  the  blessing  of  Our 
Lord  and  His  holy  Mother. 


ON    TEMPERAMENTS    IN 
GENERAL 

A    LEXANDER  E.   SANFORD,   M.   D., 

•**•  in  "Pastoral  Medicine,"  says 
on  page  266:  "Within  the  last  few 
decades  the  nervous  diseases  in  their 
thousandfold  shapes  have  increased 
to  an  alarming  extent."  And  again 
on  page  316:  "Many  a  time  it  will 
become  evident  that  the  manifest 
inappetency  for  work,  the  reduced 
capability,  the  mental  palsy,  plain  to 
all,  the  striking  absence  of  mind,  the 
inattention  and  apathy  at  school, 
bashful  and  reserved  ways,  that  slight 
inclination  to  gloominess,  that  waver 
ing  of  the  whole  demeanor,  that  all 
19 


2O      Temperaments  in  General 

these  are  not  character  traits,  but  a 
consequence  of  the  conflict,  the  de 
fensive  struggle,  which  the  poor  tor 
tured  has  to  wage  with  the  torturing 
process  within."  Rev.  Joseph  Anton- 
elli,  Doctor  and  Professor,  remarks 
that  nervousness  at  the  present  day  is 
so  prevalent  that  scarcely  one  among 
a  thousand  is  normal. 

Nevertheless,  not  all  is  disease. 
There  are  temperaments,  as  the  ma 
jority  of  authors  admit.  It  is  neces 
sary  to  distinguish  in  each  individual 
case  between  character  traits  and 
neurasthenia.  The  different  disposi 
tions  and  propensities  in  the  human 
body  naturally  influence  the  affections 
of  the  soul.  This  influence  impresses 
a  constant  type  or  stamp  on  his 
actions.  This  is  called  temperament. 
All  around  us  we  see  nature  furnish 
ing  materials.  Many  are  imperfect, 


Temperaments  In  General      21 

possibly  almost  useless.  Art  must  in 
tervene.  Labor  must  render  perfect. 
The  same  is  true  of  temperament. 
Every  one  should  endeavor  to  perfect 
the  temperament  given  by  God.  Man 
must  hew  away  what  is  rough.  Man 
must  reform  what  is  amiss.  Man 
must  perfect  what  is  good.  Then  all 
will  redound  to  the  great  profit  of  the 
soul  and  will  be  of  real  service  to 
others. 

Rothenflue  remarks  that  the  tem 
peraments  are  always  intermingled, 
yet,  so  that  one  generally  predomin 
ates.  Thus,  no  temperament  stands 
alone.  The  predominant  tempera 
ment  is  intermixed  with  the  character 
traits  of  one  or  more  of  the  other 
temperaments.  Besides  the  natural 
dispositions  of  a  man,  his  tempera 
ment  may  also  be  greatly  influenced 
by  climate,  surroundings,  education 


22      Temperaments  in  General 

and  advancing  years.  In  fact,  it  may 
change  in  the  progress  of  time.  Then, 
too,  as  Rothenflue  further  remarks, 
one  temperament  possesses  more 
happy  traits  than  another.  He  says 
the  most  happy  temperament  is  that 
one  in  which  none  predominates, 
where  one  counterbalances  the  other. 
Such  a  one  is,  as  it  were,  born  for  a 
virtuous  life.  Yet,  he  and  all  philoso 
phers  maintain,  no  matter  how  un 
happy  one's  temperament,  man  can, 
with  a  determined  will,  correct  and 
modify  it.  Ascetical  writers  tell  us  this 
can  be  done  better  still  by  means  of  a 
good  will  united  to  the  grace  of  God. 
God  certainly  grants  his  grace  to  all 
of  good  will.  St.  Augustine  tells  us 
it  is  our  duty  to  correspond  to  the 
grace  that  God  offers.  God  will  en 
able  us  to  attain  our  end,  namely, 
union  with  Him  by  charity.  The  mis- 


Temperaments  In  General      23 

fortune  is,  so  few  are  willing  to  make 
the  proper  effort.  Thus,  they  become 
useless  both  to  themselves  and  others. 
Let  every  one  then  endeavor  to  ob 
tain  true  self-knowledge  in  order  to 
attain  to  the  union  with  God  by 
charity. 

No  one  need  be  discouraged. 
Every  one  should  set  to  work  with  a 
determined  will.  A  good  will  in 
union  with  the  grace  of  God  will 
accomplish  everything.  Next,  every 
one  should  also  be  content  with  the 
temperament  God  has  given  him.  No 
matter  how  unhappy  the  tempera 
ment,  every  one  can  attain,  not  only 
salvation,  but  also  Christian  perfec 
tion.  As  soon  as  man  has  obtained 
true  self-knowledge,  he  has  accom 
plished  one-half  of  the  task.  Then, 
it  remains  for  him  to  put  into  opera 
tion  the  means  to  obtain  the  love  of 


24      Temperaments  in  General 

God.  It  would,  however,  be  a  great 
error  to  imagine  that  this  can  be  ac 
complished  at  once.  On  the  con 
trary,  this  is  a  task,  a  labor  that  will 
occupy  him  the  balance  of  his  days. 
Some  resemble  a  certain  class  of  sick 
people.  When  an  infirmity  seizes 
them,  they  readily  take  a  few  doses 
of  medicine.  Then  they  find  they  are 
not  cured.  In  their  impatience  they 
blame  the  physician  with  a  want  of 
knowledge  and  insist  there  is  no  vir 
tue  in  the  medicine  prescribed.  Let  no 
one  imagine  he  can  attain  perfection 
at  once.  How  many  years  does  not 
the  student  employ  in  hard  study, 
oftentimes  fraught  with  poverty  and 
privation,  before  he  can  become  a 
lawyer,  physician  or  architect! 

What  wonder  then  that  we  dis 
cover  numberless  defects  when  we 
proceed  to  obtain  self-knowledge.  In 


Temperaments  in  General      25 

the  spiritual  life,  also,  years  of  toil, 
exertion  and  disappointments  are  to 
be  met.  In  connection  herewith  one 
instance  from  the  lives  of  the  Fathers 
of  the  Desert  may  be  cited.  St.  Isi 
dore,  one  of  the  disciples  of  St.  An 
thony,  is  the  one  selected.  Some  time 
after  he  had  been  elevated  to  the 
priestly  dignity,  he  became  Superior 
of  the  Religious  of  the  Desert  of 
Scete.  This  saint  had  a  special  talent 
from  God  to  heal  the  maladies  of  the 
soul.  Whenever  other  Superiors 
were  in  favor  of  dismissing  any  of 
their  subjects  on  account  of  negli 
gence,  slothfulness,  impatience,  pas 
sion  or  other  defects,  he  desired  that 
they  be  brought  to  him.  By  treating 
them  with  his  usual  charity,  humility 
and  patience,  he  generally  brought 
them  to  a  right  sense  of  their  duty 
and  in  time  cured  them  effectually  of 


26      Temperaments  in  General 

all  their  vices  and  faults.  This  is  a 
universal  experience.  No  one  can 
flatter  himself  that  he  is  perfect  in 
the  beginning  of  his  career.  Some 
lose  courage  and  because  of  cow 
ardice  give  up  the  combat  little  by 
little,  as  did  some  disciples  of  St.  Isi 
dore.  Again,  it  will  require  a  long 
struggle,  this  fight  against  sins,  faults, 
and  imperfections.  Only  those  con 
quer  that  persevere  resolutely,  for, 
even  St.  Isidore  could  not  accomplish 
everything  at  once.  In  some  in 
stances  he  could  accomplish  nothing. 
The  incident  also  goes  to  show  that 
assistance  of  the  spiritual  director 
renders  the  one  directed  not  only  se 
cure,  but  is  at  the  same  time  most  val 
uable,  because  encouraging.  More 
than  this,  it  is  the  only  means  to  ob 
tain  certainty  that  we  are  on  the  road 
to  perfection. 


Temperaments  in  General      27 

Lastly,  should  it  appear  surprising 
that  so  much  is  said  on  temperaments, 
the  following  may  serve  as  answer. 
Rev.  P.  Vercruysse,  S.J.,  says:  "To 
gain  our  souls  the  Good  Shepherd  ac 
commodates  Himself  to  our  inclina 
tions,  frailties  and  humors. 
Examine  your  past!  Possibly  you 
will  discover  many  instances  of  the 
Divine  Goodness  and  Meekness  ac 
commodating  Itself  to  your  character, 
temperament,  desires  and  inclina 
tions."  (Meditation  for  the  Thurs 
day  after  the  third  Sunday  after 
Easter).  If  Our  Lord  takes  into 
consideration  our  temperament,  etc., 
it  will  not  be  amiss  on  our  part  to  act 
similarly. 


THE     PHLEGMATIC     TEM 
PERAMENT 

WE  WILL  begin  with  the  dis 
advantageous  traits  of  this 
temperament.  The  characteristics 
of  this  temperament  are  sloth  and 
indifference.  Both  sloth  and  in 
difference  are  unfortunate  traits. 
Sloth  prevents  the  phlegmatic  from 
making  efforts.  He  is  averse  to 
exertion.  His  indifference  renders  this 
still  more  difficult.  His  disposition 
greatly  inclines  him  to  sweet  idleness: 
Dolce  far  niente.  But,  is  there  noth 
ing  that  is  attractive  to  the  phleg 
matic?  There  is.  He  is  fond  of 
good  cheer.  He  loves  the  pleasures 
of  a  good  table  as  much  as  he  detests 
28 


Phlegmatic  Temperament      29 

labor.  If  these  sensual  pleasures  are 
beyond  his  means,  his  thoughts  will 
invariably  revert  to  them.  These 
fancies  of  the  imagination  have  great 
attraction  for  him.  There  is  some 
thing  more  that  fascinates  him.  He 
has  a  strong  leaning  to  mechanical 
pursuits.  Mechanical  occupations 
charm  him.  He  finds  them  congenial. 
He  loves  to  tinker.  Here  he  mani 
fests  a  great  endurance.  But  they 
must  not  disturb  his  equanimity. 
They  must  not  rob  him  of  his  even 
ness  of  mind.  It  is  consequently  very 
natural  that  he  detests  all  labor  of  a 
higher  order.  The  very  inclination 
to  mechanical  labors  is  the  reason 
that  he  is  not  suited  to  applying  dili 
gently  to  science  and  learning.  He 
greatly  dislikes  all  effort  in  this  direc 
tion.  His  indifference  is  opposed  to 
arduous  application  to  earnest  study. 


30      Phlegmatic  Temperament 

The  very  same  holds  good  in  regard 
to  the  practises  of  the  spiritual  life. 
It  is  not  in  him  to  apply  with  energy 
and  diligence  to  the  practises  of  vir 
tue.  An  efficacious  pursuit  of  Chris 
tian  perfection  is  very  much  against 
his  grain.  He  is  too  slothful.  He  is 
too  indifferent.  You  cannot  inspire 
him  with  enthusiasm  for  religious 
practises.  He  feels  little  inclination 
for  acts  of  virtue.  The  reason  is  that 
naturally  he  exhibits  as  little  acute- 
ness,  as  he  possesses  little  imagination 
and  energy.  It  appears  impossible 
to  arouse  him  to  enthusiasm.  He 
may,  perchance,  exhibit  good  judg 
ment  and  more  intellect.  Yet  these, 
too,  are  dull,  spiritless  and  indiffer 
ent.  In  this  connection  the  celebrated 
Benedictine,  Father  Schram,  remarks 
that  persons  that  were  choleric  in 
their  youth  may  become  phlegmatic 


Phlegmatic  Temperament      31 

in  advancing  years.  They  will  espe 
cially  be  noted,  for  prudence.  This 
results  from  their  experience  in  the 
previous  conduct  of  affairs.  Finally 
it  is  necessary  to  point  out  a  grave 
danger  to  which  '  this  tempera 
ment  inclines.  This  is  effeminacy. 
This  inclination  draws  man  violently 
to  the  gratification  of  sensual  pleas 
ures.  Silent  waters  flow  deep.  Nat 
urally  quiet  and  taciturn,  the  phleg 
matic  may  easily  yield  to  this 
inclination.  This  is  exceedingly  dan 
gerous.  Should  the  phlegmatic  yield 
in  this  respect,  it  may  develop  into  an 
incurable  passion. 

Now  we  turn  to  the  favorable 
traits  of  this  character.  One  great 
advantage  of  this  temperament  is  that 
the  phlegmatic  is  gentle  by  nature. 
This  is  a  most  estimable  disposition. 
He  is  greatly  inclined  to  be  patient 


32      Phlegmatic  Temperament 

and  peaceable.  Certainly  most  ami 
able  qualities.  They  prevent  strife 
and  quarrels.  He  is  averse  to  clamor 
and  noise.  Another  good  trait  is,  he  t 
is  easy  to  govern.  On  this  account  he 
will  cause  little  trouble  to  those  that 
are  charged  with  directing  his  con 
duct.  Furthermore,  he  is  undisturbed 
by  good  as  well  as  adverse  events. 
He  will  not  easily  lose  his  equanimity. 
His  calm  temper  prevents  him  from 
being  elated  with  excessive  joy  in 
prosperous  events.  If,  on  the  con 
trary,  he  meets  with  adverse  fortune, 
he  is  not  unduly  depressed.  Thus  he 
is  consequent  and  constant  in  all  his 
undertakings.  Another  good  charac 
teristic  of  the  phlegmatic  is,  he  is 
tenacious  of  tradition.  Novelties  have 
no  attraction  for  him.  It  is  easy  for 
him  to  follow  the  prescribed  rules. 
Every  one  will  quickly  understand 


Phlegmatic  Temperament      33 

how  beneficial  this  disposition  is,  both 
for  himself  and  his  associates.  In 
consequence  he  invariably  exhibits 
punctuality.  This  is  natural.  For  he 
is  disposed  to  be  conscientious.  He  is 
trustworthy;  certainly  a  most  esti 
mable  quality.  Another  endearing 
quality  of  this  temperament  is  sim 
plicity.  Every  one  detests  duplicity. 
But  freedom  from  a  propensity  to 
cunning  is  esteemed  universally. 
Lastly  some  of  the  most  estimable 
character  traits  of  this  temperament 
are  honesty  and  sincerity. 

Now  what  is  to  be  observed  in  the 
pastoral  order  regarding  this  tem 
perament?  The  dispositions  of  this 
temperament  are  such  that  very  much 
depends  on  the  proper  direction.  If 
the  phlegmatic  is  left  to  himself  he 
is  helpless.  He  is  timid  and  pusillani 
mous.  He  invariably  finds  its  diffi- 


34      Phlegmatic  Temperament 

cult  or  even  impossible  to  come  to  a 
decision.  His  vacillating  disposition 
renders  him  inconstant.  Parents  can 
be  of  great  assistance  to  these  char 
acters  by  imitating  the  example  of 
Blanche,  the  saintly  mother  of  St. 
Louis  of  France.  It  is  related  of  her 
that  when  little  Louis  was  four  or 
five  years  of  age  she  would  tenderly 
address  him:  "My  son,  you  know 
how  very  much  I  love  you,  but  I 
would  rather  behold  you  a  corpse 
than  know  you  had  the  misfortune  of 
committing  a  mortal  sin."  Such  in 
struction  will  greatly  strengthen  the 
will  against  the  allurements  of  sen 
suality.  Especially  when  these  per 
sons  appear  silent  and  taciturn  they 
must  be  roused.  Next,  parents  must 
curb  their  own  ambition.  They  may 
perceive  that  a  child  possesses  talent. 
Naturally,  they  would  willingly  give 


Phlegmatic  Temperament      35 

him  a  liberal  education.  But  the 
phlegmatic  possesses  no  ambition. 
He  is  not  inclined  to  continue  his 
studies.  He  shows  more  aptitude  to 
embrace  some  honest  trade.  Let  him 
have  his  choice  and  keep  him  to  it. 
In  this  case  it  is  best  to  let  him  be  sat 
isfied  with  an  elementary  education 
only.  If  he  is  compelled  to  continue 
his  studies,  he  will  have  no  desire  to 
profit  by  his  accomplishments.  He 
will  simply  give  himself  to  idleness. 
Whilst,  if  he  had  adopted  some  trade, 
he  would  have  become  a  useful  mem 
ber  of  society.  Similar  to  this  is  the 
task  of  instructors  who  may  have 
pupils  of  this  temperament.  They 
will  find  that  their  charges  are  easily 
discouraged  at  the  difficulties  in  the 
elementary  course.  These  characters 
need  a  firm  hand  to  guide  them.  But 
above  all  mildness  must  predominate. 


36      Phlegmatic  Temperament 

Severity  is  apt  to  completely  discour 
age  such  characters.  Instructors  need 
an  equal  amount  of  patience.  It  is  a 
most  difficult  task  to  be  incessantly  en 
couraging  them  in  their  studies.  The 
preceptor  must  esteem  his  uninter 
rupted  efforts  amply  rewarded,  if  such 
pupils  can  be  induced  to  make  ordi 
nary  efforts.  The  same  holds  good  in 
the  spiritual  life  in  the  practice  of  vir 
tue.  The  phlegmatic  exhibits  no  en 
thusiasm  to  strive  after  Christian  per 
fection.  He  abhors  mortification. 
He  dislikes  constant  and  generous  ef 
forts.  This  is  owing  to  his  inclina 
tion  to  effeminacy.  It  is  absolutely 
necessary  incessantly  to  arouse  him 
to  make  efforts  to  acquire  the  true 
love  of  God.  The  spiritual  director 
will  find  the  greatest  difficulty  in  de 
ciding  whether  such  subjects  have  a 
true  vocation  for  a  religious  life. 


Phlegmatic  Temperament      37 

The  director  must  endeavor  to  instill 
a  great  confidence  in  the  assistance  of 
divine  grace  in  such  subjects.  They 
can,  and  will,  then  make  persevering 
efforts  for  their  own  good  and  that 
of  many  others.  They  will  labor 
quietly  and  unostentatiously,  but  still 
earnestly,  to  acquire  Christian  perfec 
tion  and  true  love  of  God. 


THE     MELANCHOLIC     TEM 
PERAMENT 

IF  THERE  is  a  temperament  with 
very  unfortunate  characteristics, 
it  is  certainly  the  melancholic.  Ex 
ternally  this  temperament  manifests 
but  slight  receptibility.  Apparently 
the  melancholic  seems  to  remain 
unmoved.  He  manifests  no  emotion. 
He  appears  to  be  very  indifferent  to 
the  external  world,  to  everything  that 
goes  on  around  him.  But,  in  his 
imagination  he  construes  an  interior 
world,  the  ideals  of  which  cannot  be 
realized.  He  is  both  slow  and  obsti 
nate.  This  obstinancy  causes  him  to 
be  very  tenacious  of  his  own  opinions. 
He  is  never  contented.  Being  a  se- 
38 


Melancholic  Temperament     39 

vere  censor  of  morals,  he  fails  to  dis 
cover  anything  good  in  others. 
Naturally,  he  is  uncongenial.  In  con 
sequence  of  this,  he  exhibits  great  and 
constant  irritability.  It  is,  therefore, 
not  surprising  that  he  is  inclined  to  be 
suspicious  of  others.  He  is  apt  to 
offend  others  by  imagining  they 
have  something  against  him,  or  are 
dissatisfied  with  him,  or,  perhaps,  are 
opposed  to  him.  He  is  convinced  that 
he  is  misjudged.  This  causes  him  to 
be  distant  and  possibly  offensive  in  his 
intercourse.  His  fondness  for  soli 
tude  inclines  him  to  singularity.  In 
consequence,  he  is  reserved  and 
wholly  engrossed  in  himself.  When 
offended  or  in  case  he  imagines  an 
affront  has  been  offered  him,  he  be 
comes  vindictive.  He  nourishes 
hatred  and  aversion.  He  desires  to 
revenge  himself.  At  the  same  time 


40     Melancholic  Temperament 

he  is  capable  of  bestowing  the  most 
ardent  friendship  on  some,  individu 
ally,  to  the  complete  exclusion  of  all 
others.  He  may  become  a  prey  to 
vehement  passions.  But  these  he  will 
conceal  in  his  interior.  He  may  se 
cretly  indulge  in  vice.  He  possesses 
an  unreasonable  self-conceit.  He 
fosters  within  himself  an  over-esti 
mation  of  superiority.  This  readily 
leads  him  to  despise  others.  In  a 
word,  he  may  be  a  votary  to  extrava 
gant,  nay  absurd,  fanatical,  heretical 
and  suicidal  ideas,  as  Rev.  Joseph 
Antonelli,  Doctor  and  Professor, 
remarks. 

The  following  deserves  special 
mention:  The  learned  Benedictine, 
Father  Schram,  distinguishes  two  va 
rieties  of  the  melancholic  tempera 
ment.  One,  he  says,  is  allied  to  the 
choleric  temperament.  It  drives  men 


Melancholic  Temperament     41 

to  fury  and  insanity.  It  renders  them 
bold  and  vindictive.  It  makes  them 
traitors.  Such  persons  become  cruel 
and  prone  to  every  wickedness.  If 
such  characters  give  themselves  to 
contemplation,  they  yield  to  obstinate 
and  enduring  illusions.  They  must 
be  quickly  recalled  from  contempla 
tion,  lest  by  their  imaginary  revela 
tions  they  infect  others  with  similar 
insane  ideas.  The  other  kind  pos 
sesses  more  the  traits  of  the  sanguinic 
temperament.  This  inclines  man  to 
be  docile,  mild  and  gentle.  The  char 
acteristic  trait  of  this  temperament  is 
a  moderate  sadness.  It  is  tranquil  in 
action.  It  is  profound  in  all  under 
takings.  It  possesses  weight  and  ma 
turity  in  judgment.  Father  Schram 
and  authors  in  general  admit  that 
every  truly  great,  wise,  and  prudent 
man  has  evinced  traits  of  this  tern- 


42     Melancholic  Temperament 

perament.  Nay,  in  advancing  years 
those  may  attain  these  characteristics 
who,  in  youth  were  endowed  with  a 
choleric  temperament.  Such  persons 
are  well  suited  to  become  good  ad 
visers,  prudent  leaders  and  men  of 
learning.  If  such  become  devoted  to 
the  spiritual  life  they  are  apt  to  ex 
cel  and  become  masters,  owing  to 
their  prudence  and  discretion. 

This  temperament  has  many  good 
qualities.  The  first  is  firmness  of  pur 
pose.  When  the  melancholic  has 
taken  a  resolution,  difficulties  will  not 
swerve  him  from  his  purpose.  Nay, 
the  greater  the  obstacles,  the  more 
his  courage  will  increase.  The 
greater  the  difficulties  that  present 
themselves,  the  more  arduous  become 
his  efforts.  At  the  same  time  he  is 
prudent  and  reserved.  These  quali 
ties  prevent  him  from  acting  precipi- 


Melancholic  Temperament     43 

tately  and  imprudently.  He  acts  only 
after  mature  deliberation.  When  he 
has  arrived  at  a  decision,  his  ardor 
also  is  aroused.  For  this  tempera 
ment  displays  energy  in  a  marked  de 
gree.  If  the  melancholic  gives  him 
self  to  the  pursuit  of  science  he  will 
not  rest  until  he  has  fathomed  the 
depths  of  learning.  The  same  holds 
good  in  regard  to  asceticism  as  Dr. 
Albert  Stockl  (Lehrbuch  der  Philoso- 
phie)  and  other  authors  remark: 
The  melancholic  loves  the  sublime 
and  terrific.  He  delights  in  the  super 
natural.  He  loves  contemplation. 
Thus  the  pursuit  and  practise  of  vir 
tue  is  for  him  an  agreeable  task.  He 
will  earnestly  strive  after  solid  vir 
tue.  His  ardent  mind  is  easily  con 
vinced  that  God  is  the  only  and  true 
Good.  He  therefore  yields  himself 
to  the  service  of  God  with  all  the 


44     Melancholic  Temperament 

ardor  of  which  this  temperament  is 
capable. 

The  direction  of  this  temperament 
must,  above  all,  be  considerate  and 
circumspect.  The  director  should 
combine  prudence  and  consideration 
in  regard  to  this  temperament.  He 
will  greatly  err  if  he  is  abrupt  and 
exacting.  In  this  he  must  imitate 
the  example  of  the  physician 
who  first  endeavors  to  gain  the 
confidence  of  his  patient  before 
attempting  directly  to  effect  a 
cure.  He  must  exert  himself  to  con 
vince  the  subject  that  he  has  his  best 
interests  at  heart.  Fortunate  is  the 
director  if  he  succeeds  in  this  respect. 
Let  him  strive  to  gain  the  good  will 
of  the  subject.  Then  all  the  difficul 
ties  of  the  melancholic  will  vanish, 
both  in  the  pursuit  of  science  and  in 
the  practise  of  virtue.  The  melan- 


Melancholic  Temperament     4$ 

cholic  will  accomplish  great  things  in 
both  respects.  He  will  readily  give 
himself  wholly  to  God  with  all  the 
ardor  proper  to  this  temperament. 

On  one  occasion  the  Venerable 
Father  Joseph  Passerat,  C.SS.R., 
was  addressing  a  number  of  ecclesi 
astical  students.  He  made  the  re 
mark  that  the  devil  assails  religious 
persons  in  particular  with  the  tempta 
tion  to  melancholy.  Satan  does  this 
to  discourage  them.  He  instils  a  de 
sire  to  seek  pleasure  in  idle  conversa 
tions;  to  see,  read  and  hear  all  that  is 
going  on;  to  be  popular,  to  enjoy  un 
restrained  freedom.  According  to  St. 
Paul,  "the  sorrow  of  the  world  work- 
eth  death"  (2  Cor.  vii.  10).  In  the 
same  verse  St.  Paul  says:  uThe  sor 
row  that  is  according  to  God  worketh 
penance  steadfast  to  salvation." 
(Ibid.)  Holy  sadness  will  cause  the 


46     Melancholic  Temperament 

soul  to  seek  solitude  in  order  to  con 
verse  with  God.  It  keeps  the  soul  in 
humility  by  recalling  the  faults  com 
mitted  and  the  fund  of  corruption  ex 
isting  in  human  nature.  (Rev.  Louis 
Brochain,  C.SS.R.)  This  holy  sad 
ness  will  enable  all,  and  in  particular 
the  melancholic,  to  make  progress  in 
self-knowledge.  The  next  step  is  to 
cling  more  and  more  closely  to  God 
by  true  love. 


THE   SANGUINIC   TEMPERA 
MENT 

THE  SANGUINIC  is  the  tempera 
ment  of  levity,  as  Rev.  John 
Ev.  Pruner,  D.D.,  remarks  (Lehr- 
buch  der  Pastoral  Theologie}  :  The 
sanguinic  abhors  labor  and  exer 
tion.  Yet,  strange  to  say,  he  equally 
abominates  quietude.  His  charac 
teristic  is  thoughtlessness.  He  de 
lights  in  various,  humoring  desires 
and  pursuits.  But  these  moods 
must  be  fraught  with  constant 
change  and  alteration.  He  mani 
fests  great  enthusiasm  for  truth 
and  goodness  and  beauty.  But 
this  disposition  vanishes  quickly.  He 
47 


48       Sanguinlc  Temperament 

is  as  readily  moved  to  tears  as  to 
laughter.  He  is  naturally  frolicsome. 
Yet,  his  gaiety  readily  degenerates 
into  wantonness.  He  possesses  an 
unlimited  fondness  for  dissipation, 
distractions  and  noisy  gatherings. 
Another  trait  of  this  temperament  is 
fickleness.  When  charged  with  any 
duty  he  is  apt  to  neglect  fulfilling  it. 
Or,  he  may  attempt  it,  but  as  fre 
quently  performs  his  task  only  par 
tially.  No  matter  how  provoking 
this  may  be  to  others,  he  is  totally  un 
concerned.  Lastly,  his  resentment  is 
quickly  aroused.  However,  it  is  not 
enduring.  He  is  prone  to  forgive 
and  forget. 

There  are,  nevertheless,  several  es 
timable  qualities  this  temperament  en 
joys.  The  sanguinic  is  endowed  with 
a  quick  perception.  He  rapidly  dis 
cerns  everything.  He  is,  likewise, 


Sanguinic  Temperament       49 

endowed  with  a  vivid  imagination. 
He  can  rapidly  progress  in  his 
studies.  Unhappily,  he  is  totally 
averse  to  continued  application.  He 
desires  to  accomplish  everything;  but 
nothing  wholly  and  thoroughly.  As 
a  rule,  he  reflects  very  little.  Conse 
quently,  he  judges  precipitately.  An 
other  provoking  trait  is  this:  The 
sanguinic  promises  much  and  per 
forms  little.  He  is  not  a  friend  of 
solitude,  but  delights  to  mingle  in  so 
ciety.  He  forms  friendships  quickly, 
these,  however,  are  not  enduring. 
On  the  other  hand  he  is  much  in 
clined  to  particular  friendships,  so 
called.  No  one  need  be  surprised 
that  he  has  favorites  and  confidants. 
The  great  evil  resulting  therefrom  is 
his  proneness  to  form  a  clique.  This 
is  most  disastrous  should  he  happen 
to  be  a  member  of  some  community. 


50       Sangulnic  Temperament 

The  inevitable  result  will  be  innumer 
able  jealousies,  suspicions  and  parties. 
On  the  other  hand  the  advantage 
ous  traits  of  this  temperament  are 
worthy  of  esteem.  No  temperament 
is  so  well  suited  as  this  to  make  a  man 
a  useful  member  of  a  community.  By 
nature  he  is  inclined  to  serve  others. 
It  is  a  pleasure  to  ask  favors  of  him. 
He  is  always  ready  to  give  his  serv 
ices.  He  is  forgiving.  Though  he 
has  been  wronged,  he  is  not  inclined 
to  harbor  an  ill  will  towards  the  of 
fender.  He  will  quickly  forget  the 
wrong  done  to  him.  At  the  same 
time  he  is  indulgent  to  the  faults  of 
others.  He  will  not  judge  harshly 
nor  treat  his  companions  with  sever 
ity.  One  trait  that  especially  endears 
him  to  his  associates  is  his  frank 
ness.  All  that  have  intercourse  with 
him  are  charmed  by  his  cheerful  dis- 


Sanguinic  Temperament       51 

position.  Then,  too,  he  is  apt  to  cap 
tivate  others,  because  he  is  a  ready 
speaker.  One  of  the  greatest  advan 
tages  of  this  temperament  is,  that, 
without  much  difficulty  it  can  accom 
modate  itself  to  a  life  of  obedience 
and  spirituality. 

We  will  now  consider  the  proper 
direction  of  this  temperament.  The 
sanguinic  stands  greatly  in  need  of  a 
kind,  but  withal  firm  direction.  If 
directed  in  accordance  with  the  good 
characteristics  of  this  temperament 
the  sanguinic  is  apt  to  make  great  and 
rapid  progress  in  the  practise  of  vir 
tue.  The  director  must  strive  to  in 
duce  the  sanguinic  to  conquer  his  in 
clination  to  effeminacy.  He  must 
teach  him  to  strive  for  manliness.  He 
must  instruct  him  to  combat  his  tend 
ency  to  ease  and  enjoyment.  He  must 
insist  that  the  sanguinic  resolutely 


52       Sanguinic  Temperament 

combat  his  proneness  to  sensibility 
and  various  emotions.  The  sanguinic 
must  be  told  to  embrace  mortification 
energetically.  With  all  his  strength 
and  energy  he  must  act  against  his 
inborn  allurements.  He  must  con 
quer  his  aversion  to  prayer  and  the 
reception  of  the  sacraments.  For  the 
sanguinic  finds  it  difficult  to  perform 
his  duties  in  this  regard  with  fervor 
and  devotion.  Owing  to  his  natural 
vacillation,  the  sanguinic  finds  it  gall 
ing  to  follow  a  fixed  rule  of  life. 
He  must,  therefore,  be  held  to  an 
orderly  and  conscientious  fulfilment 
of  his  prescribed  duties.  The  san 
guinic  will  find  it  very  perplexing  to 
subject  himself  to  unremitting  efforts. 
One  day  he  will  be  all  fervor  and 
resolution.  Very  quickly,  however, 
he  imagines  all  his  strength  and  de 
termination  have  vanished.  On  this 


Sanguinic  Temperament       53 

account  it  is  necessary  to  recommend 
to  him  an  especial  devotion  to  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  Mary  is  the  Mother 
of  Grace.  From  the  very  beginning 
of  his  spiritual  life  he  should  strive  to 
confide  in  her  motherly  assistance. 
He  should  frequently  place  his  sole 
reliance  in  this  Help  of  Christians. 

Closely  similar  must  be  the  guid 
ance  of  the  sanguinic  if  he  applies 
either  to  studies  or  other  useful  em 
ployment.  In  case  he  is  talented  he 
will  be  full  of  courage,  as  long  as  he 
succeeds.  When  he  meets  with  diffi 
culties  or  happens  to  fail,  he  becomes 
discouraged.  He  imagines  he  ought 
to  take  up  some  other  pursuit.  If,  on 
the  contrary,  he  is  not  gifted  with 
talent,  it  is  necessary  to  encourage 
him  incessantly.  He  will  repeatedly 
give  up  every  effort  and  exertion. 


THE    CHOLERIC    TEMPERA 
MENT, 

FIRST,  come  the  traits  of  this  tem 
perament  that  are  more  or 
less  dangerous.  The  choleric  tem 
perament  is  gifted  with  an  energetic 
mind  and  an  indomitable  will. 
Energy  and  determination  are  its 
characteristic  traits.  The  choleric 
is  also  endowed  with  a  fervid  imagi 
nation.  Honor,  glory,  dominion  are 
his  idols.  He,  so  to  speak,  wor 
ships  at  the  altar  of  fame.  By  every 
means  possible  he  endeavors  to  pro 
cure  renown  for  himself.  He  seeks 
celebrity  by  extensively  praising  his 
own  achievements  and  accomplish 
ments.  His  heart's  desire  is  to  exer- 
64 


Choleric  Temperament        55 

cise  sway  over  ethers.  Hence  pride 
is  his  predominant  passion.  Again, 
as  a  rule,  he  is  too  impetuous,  alto 
gether  too  passionate.  This  renders 
him  fond  of  strife.  He  finds  great 
satisfaction  in  raising  quarrels.  If  he 
meets  with  failure  in  all  this  he  is 
little  contented;  he  is  seldom  happy. 
But,  the  worst  of  all  happens  if  the 
choleric  should  embrace  a  career  of 
wickedness.  Then  he  becomes  con 
tumacious,  brazenfaced  and  incorri 
gible.  He  will  prefer  death  to  humil 
iation.  If  chastisement  is  inflicted 
on  him,  he  will  conceal  his  vices.  By 
no  means  will  he  amend. 

The  good  traits  of  this  temper- 
ment  are  very  serviceable  in  many 
respects.  The  choleric  has  an  indom 
itable  courage.  He  is  not  deterred 
by  obstacles.  At  the  same  time 
he  is  magnanimous.  He  is  ever 


56        Choleric  Temperament 

ready  to  sacrifice  his  feelings  and 
interests.  Other  good  traits  are 
constancy  and  fortitude.  These  en 
able  him  to  achieve  his  purpose.  If 
the  choleric  selects  the  pursuits  of 
arts  and  sciences,  he  is  apt  to  excel. 
For  he  will  make  noble  efforts.  If 
he  choose  a  military  career  he  will  be 
a  hero  in  war.  However,  he  is  in 
danger  of  becoming  tyrannical,  if 
invested  with  authority.  Lastly,  if 
he  turns  to  the  practises  of  a  virtuous 
life,  he  will  strive  perseveringly  for 
perfection.  He  will  be  noted  for  a 
profound  humility.  He  will  exhibit 
great  constancy  in  the  practises  of  a 
penitential  life.  He  will  be  tireless 
in  the  observance  of  spiritual  exer 
cises.  His  obedience  will  be  prompt. 
In  fact,  when  his  ardor  has  been 
inflamed  by  higher  motives,  he  will  be 
full  of  zeal  for  the  best  interests  of 


Choleric  Temperament        57 

his  fellowmen.  In  a  word,  in  all  his 
undertakings  he  will  be  orderly  and 
inciting. 

The  direction  of  this  temperament 
must  be  above  all  firm  and  manly. 
The  choleric  abhors  weakness  and 
indecision.  He  finds  it  congenial  to 
be  placed  under  restraint.  He  is  ad 
verse  to  indulgence.  He  is  opposed 
to  being  humored.  He  loves  to  be 
told  his  dutes  unreservedly  and  de 
cisively.  Yet,  this  must  be  done 
calmly  and  without  passion. 


COROLLARY 

Now,  kind  reader,  you  may  feel 
inclined  to  institute  a  com 
parison  between  these  different  tem 
peraments.  You  may  ask  which  of 
them  is  preferable.  You  will  perceive 
the  phlegmatic  abounds  in  judgment, 
or,  if  you  prefer,  in  intellect.  The 
sanguinic  excels  in  sentiment.  The 
melancholic  is  greatly  influenced  by 
the  imagination.  The  choleric  towers 
over  the  others  in  will-power.  Yet 
as  R.  Kiest  (Die  Erzlehung  im  El- 
ternhause)  states,  it  would  be  mis 
leading  to  prefer  one  temperament 
to  another.  Every  temperament  has 
its  bright  side  as  well  as  its  unfavor 
able  characteristics.  Neither  may 
68 


Corollary  59 

you  assert  that  any  one  is  led  astray 
by  the  evil  influences  of  his  tempera 
ment.  He  cannot  invoke  these  latter 
as  an  excuse  for  or  justification  of  sin 
or  wrong.  For,  if  any  one  goes 
wrong,  it  is  his  own  fault  and  want  of 
proper  direction.  The  root  lies  in 
the  wrong  tendency  of  his  own  self 
ishness.  Similarly,  the  advantageous 
traits  of  the  temperaments  are  of  no 
moral  value.  Of  themselves,  they  do 
not  proceed  from,  nor  lead  to  self- 
renunciation. 

It  will,  however,  be  of  great  ad 
vantage  to  observe  the  distinguishing 
and  analogous  characteristics  of 
these  temperanients.  These  four 
temperaments  form,  as  it  were,  two 
groups.  Each  group  contains  two 
temperaments  that  have  distinguish 
ing,  but  withal  analogous,  characteris 
tics.  They  rest  on  the  same  founda- 


60  Corollary 

tion.  There  is  an  affinity  between 
them.  Thus  there  is  an  affinity 
between  the  melancholic  and  sangui- 
nic  temperaments.  All  their  ten 
dencies  are  personal,  relate  to  the 
individual.  The  melancholic  strives  to 
refer  everything  to  his  own  use  and 
enjoyment.  The  sanguinic  finds  de 
light,  amusement,  in  everything. 
These  are  the  receptive  tempera 
ments.  The  choleric  and  phlegmatic 
temperaments  relate  to  things  exter 
nal.  The  choleric  endeavors  to  cul 
tivate,  change  and  ameliorate  every 
thing.  The  phlegmatic  is  intent  on 
appropriating,  putting  in  order  and 
preserving  things.  These  are  the 
operative  or  spontaneous  characters. 
These  two  groups  are  mutually  re 
pellent.  Very  seldom  do  they  amal 
gamate.  On  the  contrary,  they  avoid 
one  another,  they  shun  one  another. 


Corollary  61 

They  even  antagonize  one  another. 
Thus  you  will  not  meet  with  choleric- 
phlegmatic  or  melancholic-sanguinic. 
But  you  will  find  choleric-melancholic, 
choleric-sanguinic;  as  well  as  phleg 
matic-melancholic  and  phlegmatic- 
sanguinic  characters.  The  reason  is 
that,  in  every  individual  there  is 
found  a  fundamental  temperament. 
This  is  circumscribed  by  another,  but 
less  pronounced  temperament. 

There  are  some  unfortunate  char 
acters  that  have  a  well-nigh  irresist 
ible  tendency  to  a  career  of  crime. 
These  unfortunates  have  a  most 
violent  hankering  for  lust.  This  is 
called  the  erotic  temperament.  It 
may  be  hereditary.  It  may  be 
adventitious.  In  this  connection  it 
will  suffice  to  notice  the  following. 
Rev.  Jos.  Aertuys,  C.SS.R.  Theologia 
Pastoralis  (Temperamenta),  Rev. 


62  Corollary 

Jos.  Antonelli,  Medicina  Pastoralis 
(Temperamenta),  and  Alexander  E. 
Sanford,  M.D.,  Pastoral  Medicine 
(Appendix,  Neurasthenia),  remark 
that  this  temperament  requires  both 
a  somatic  and  psychical  treatment. 
These  unhappy  souls  must  be  placed 
under  the  direction  of  a  spiritual 
adviser  as  soon  as  possible. 


PART  II 


CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION, 

THERE  are,  according  to  the  Rev. 
Fr.  Desurmout,  C.SS.R.,  two 
methods  of  striving  after  perfection. 
The  one,  which  he  calls  analytic, 
consists  in  the  practise  of  the 
moral  virtues  in  order  to  arrive  at 
the  love  of  God.  The  other  is  the 
synthetic.  It  consists  in  the  practise 
of  the  love  of  God  from  which  will 
follow  all  other  virtues.  The  latter 
is  the  method  of  St.  Alphonsus,  the 
one  he  practised  himself;  the  one  he 
ordinarily  advocates  in  his  ascetical 
writings  and  which  he  principally 
develops  in  his  book:  "Practise  of 
the  Love  of  Jesus  Christ."  (Rev. 
65 


66          Christian  Perfection 

H.    R.    Boumaus,    C.SS.R.,   Seconde 
Retraite.) 

St.  Alphonsus  says  all  the  sanctity, 
all  the  perfection  of  a  soul,  consists 
in  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  God, 
our  greatest  Good  and  Redeemer. 
Our  Lord  says :  "For  the  Father  him 
self  loveth  you,  because  you  have 
loved  me."  (John  xvi.  27.)  St. 
Francis  de  Sales  remarks  that  some 
place  their  perfection  in  works  of 
penance,  others  in  prayer,  others 
again  in  the  frequent  reception  of  the 
sacraments  or  in  alms-deeds,  but  they 
are  all  mistaken.  All  perfection  con 
sists  in  loving  God  with  one's  whole 
heart.  This  explains  to  us  why  the 
Apostle  principally  admonishes  us  to 
charity,  calling  it  the  bond  of  perfec 
tion.  "But  above  all  those  things 
have  charity,  which  is  the  bond  of 
perfection."  (Col.  iii.  14.)  For 


Christian  Perfection  67 

charity  contains  and  sustains  all  the 
virtues  that  render  man  perfect. 
Hence  the  maxim  of  St.  Augustine: 
"Love  God  and  do  what  you  will." 
As  soon  as  a  soul  loves  God,  she  is 
inclined  to  avoid  everything  displeas 
ing  to  her  amiable  Lord  and  to  do  all 
that  is  pleasing  to  Him. 

"Charity,"  says  St.  Bernard,  uis 
something  great,  something  pre 
cious."  Solomon  says  of  wisdom 
(which  is  the  same  as  divine  char 
ity)  that  it  is  an  inexhaustible  treas 
ure.  "She  is  an  infinite  treasure  to 
men!  Which  they  that  use  become 
the  friends  of  God."  (Wis.  vii.  14.) 
For  he  that  possesses  the  love 
of  God  participates  in  the  friend 
ship  of  God.  St.  Thomas  teaches 
that  the  love  of  God  is  the  queen  of 
virtues;  for  where  divine  charity 
reigns  all  other  virtues  are  certain 


68  Christian  Perfection 

to  follow.  They,  as  it  were,  form 
her  retinue.  She  utilizes  them  all 
to  unite  us  more  intimately  to  God. 
Strictly  taken,  it  is  charity  that  unites 
us  to  God  according  to  the  words  of 
St.  Bernard,  ''Charity  is  the  virtue 
that  unites  man  to  God."  Holy  Writ 
also  frequently  testifies  that  God 
loves  those  that  love  Him.  (Prov. 
viii.  17.)  "I  love  them  that  love 
Me.  If  anyone  loves  Me  My  Father 
will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  to 
him,  and  will  make  our  abode  with 
him."  (John  xiv.  23.)  "God  is 
charity,  and  he  that  abideth  in  char 
ity,  abideth  in  God,  and  God  in  him." 
( i  John  iv.  1 6.) 

Moreover  charity  imparts  the 
strength  to  do  and  suffer  all  for  God. 
"For  love  is  strong  as  death." 
Nothing,  St.  Augustine  declares,  is 
too  difficult,  for  great  charity  to 


Christian  Perfection          69 

accomplish,  for  where  there  is  love 
there  is  no  exertion,  or  the  exertion 
itself  is  loved.  Let  us  hear  what  St. 
John  Chrysostom  asserts  of  the 
effects  of  divine  charity  in  a  soul. 
"Where  the  love  of  God  has  taken 
possession  of  a  soul  it  enkindles  in  her 
an  insatiable  desire  to  labor  for  the 
object  of  her  love.  No  matter  how 
many  and  great  things  such  a  soul 
accomplishes,  no  matter  how  much 
time  such  a  soul  may  devote  to  the 
service  of  the  Lord,  she  esteems  all 
this  as  nothing — incessantly  she  la 
ments  she  is  doing  so  little  for  God. 
And  she  would  deem  herself  happy 
were  it  granted  her  to  die  and  be 
entirely  consumed  for  Him.  Thus 
she  appears  in  her  own  eyes  as  useless 
however  much  she  may  accomplish. 
For  love  teaches  her  what  God 
deserves.  By  the  medium  of  that 


70  Christian  Perfection 

heavenly  light  she  recognizes  how 
faulty  are  her  actions.  She  finds 
but  occasion  for  regret  and  confusion, 
because  she  understands  but  too  well 
that  all  she  does  is  very  little  for  so 
great  a  Lord." 

Oh!  did  but  all  men  comprehend 
the  great  truth.  "But  one  thing  is 
necessary."  (Luke  x.  42.)  It  is  not 
necessary  to  be  wealthy,  to  acquire 
esteem,  to  lead  a  comfortable  life,  to 
fill  honorable  positions  and  be  re 
garded  as  learned.  The  one  thing 
necessary  consists  in  loving  God  and 
doing  His  holy  will.  For  this  alone 
did  He  create  us,  and  for  this  alone 
does  He  preserve  us.  In  this  way 
alone  can  we  attain  our  salvation, 
reach  perfection  and  gain  heaven. 
"Put  Me,"  says  the  Lord  to  every 
soul  that  wishes  to  be  united  to  Him 
and  become  His  spouse,  "as  a  seal 


Christian  Perfection  71 

upon  thy  heart,  as  a  seal  upon  thy 
arm."  (Canticle  viii.  6.)  "In  order 
to  direct  all  your  actions  and  desires 
to  Me,  upon  thy  heart  that  no  other 
love  enter  there  except  My  love — 
upon  thy  arm  that  in  all  you  do  you 
have  no  other  end  than  Me."  O 
how  quickly  will  we  attain  perfection 
when  we  have  Jesus  crucified  for  our 
end  and  seek  to  please  Him  alone  in 
all  we  do ! 

No  one  shows  better  the  excellence 
of  the  love  of  God  than  St.  Paul,  the 
great  panegyrist  of  this  queen  of  all 
virtues  in  i  Cor.  xiii.  4-7.  There  he 
mentions  the  characteristics  of  true 
love  and  points  out  the  virtues  charity 
produces  in  the  soul.  "Charity  is 
patient,  is  kind :  Charity  envieth  not, 
dealeth  not  perversely;  is  not  puffed 
up,  is  not  ambitious,  seeketh  not  her 
own,  is  not  provoked  to  anger,  think- 


72          Christian  Perfection 

eth  no  evil.  Rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity, 
but  rejoiceth  with  the  truth :  Beareth 
all  things,  believeth  all  things,  hopeth 
all  things,  endureth  all  things." 


THE  PERFECTION  OF  CHAR- 
ITY  CONSISTS  IN  CONFOR 
MITY  TO  THE  WILL  OF 
GOD 

ALL  our  perfection  consists  in  the 
love  of  our  infinitely  amiable 
God.  But  the  perfection  of  charity 
consists  in  the  conformity  of  our 
will  with  the  will  of  God.  For 
as  St.  Dionysius  the  Areopagite 
teaches  (De  div.  nom.  c.  4),  the 
principal  effect  of  love  consists 
therein  that,  it  unites  the  hearts  of 
the  lovers  most  intimately,  to  the 
extent  that  they  have  but  one  will. 
Thus  the  more  we  are  one  with  the 
will  of  God,  the  greater  is  our  love 
73 


74      The  Perfection  of  Charity 

of  God.  As  hatred  holds  apart  the 
will  among  enemies,  love  unites  the 
will  among  lovers.  Thus  St.  Jerome 
writes,  "Two  persons  will  love  one 
another  truly,  when  one  desires  but 
what  the  other  wills."  For  this  rea 
son  the  Book  of  Wisdom  says,  "They 
that  are  faithful  in  love  shall  rest  in 
Him."  (Wis.  iii.  9.)  Souls  that  are 
attached  to  God  in  true  love  concur 
in  everything  He  arranges.  Accord 
ingly,  St.  Francis  de  Sales  was  right 
in  maintaining  that  piety  consists  in 
the  firm  will  to  do  everything  one 
knows  to  be  pleasing  to  God.  St. 
Thomas  maintains  the  same,  saying, 
"Piety  consists  in  the  readiness  to  do 
all  that  God  demands." 

In  order  that  a  thing  may  be  good 
and  perfect  it  must  conform  to  its 
destiny.  Thus  a  tool  is  good  only, 
when  it  is  serviceable  to  the  work- 


The  Perfection  of  Charity      75 

man  in  his  labor.  For  of  what  use 
will  it  be  otherwise?  Thus,  of  what 
use  to  a  decorator  will  a  brush  be 
that  resists  his  hand,  that  goes  to  the 
left  when  the  delineator  wishes  it  to 
go  to  the  right,  that  rises  when  he 
wishes  it  to  descend?  Would  not 
the  artist  instantly  cast  such  a  brush 
into  the  fire  ?  Man  is  in  this  world  to 
serve  God  only  and  thus  glorify  Him. 
This  sublime  end  he  can  attain  only 
by  doing  the  will  of  God,  the 
Supreme  Lord.  If,  therefore,  man 
desires  to  be  good  and  perfect  he 
must  spend  his  life  in  accomplishing 
what  God  wills. 

Does  a  man  that  follows  his  own 
inclinations  serve  God?  Certainly 
not !  Let  us  take  the  case  of  a  man 
that  has  two  servants.  The  one  la 
bors  unceasingly  all  day  long  but  does 
what  is  pleasing  to  himself  only. 


76      The  Perfection  of  Charity 

The  other  exerts  himself  less,  but  is 
subservient  in  all  things. 

Certainly  the  master  will  cherish 
the  latter  but  not  the  former.  The 
malice  of  sin  consists  in  willing  what 
God  does  not  will.  For  sin,  accord 
ing  to  St.  Anselm  is,  so  to  speak,  an 
attempt  to  rob  God  of  His  crown. 
"He  that  follows  his  own  will,"  says 
St.  Anselm,  urobs,  as  it  were,  God  of 
His  crown.  For  as  crowns  belong  to 
kings  only  so  it  belongs  to  God  to 
carry  out  His  will  independently  of 
others."  Indeed  according  to  the 
words  of  Samuel  to  Saul  it  is  a 
species  of  idolatry  to  refuse  to  be 
directed  by  God's  will.  "It  is  like  the 
crime  of  idolatry,  to  refuse  to  obey." 
(i  Kings  xv.  23.)  He  is  right,  for 
instead  of  adoring  the  will  of  God 
man  worships  his  own  will.  In  as  far 
as  the  whole  malice  of  a  creature  con- 


The  Perfection  of  Chanty      77 

sists  in  resisting  God,  thus  all  his 
greatness  consists  in  making  the  will 
of  God  his  own.  According  to  the 
prophet  Isaias  God  gives  a  soul  that 
seeks  his  good  pleasure  the  name 
"My  Will."  "My  pleasure  in  her." 
(Is.  Ixii.  4.)  This  appellation  is 
fully  justified  for  the  will  of  God 
lives  in  him  that  has  forsaken 
his  own  will.  In  order  to  be  ac 
cording  to  the  heart  of  God,  a 
Christian  must  accomplish  His  holy 
will.  "I  have  found  David  . 
a  man  according  to  my  own  heart, 
who  shall  do  all  my  wills."  (Acts 
xiii.  22.)  That  great  king,  as  he 
often  attests,  was  ever  ready  to  fulfil 
the  Word  of  God.  "My  heart  is 
ready,  O  God,  my  heart  is  ready." 
(Ps.  Ivi.  8.)  All  he  desired  was 
that  God  teach  him  to  accomplish 
His  holy  will,  "Make  the  way  known 


78       The  Perfection  of  Charity 

to  me,  wherein  I  should  walk,"  (Ps- 
cxlii.  8),  he  sighed.  O  how  happy  is 
the  man  that  can  always  say  with  the 
spouse  in  the  Canticles  uMy  soul 
melted,  when  he  spoke."  (Canticle 
v.  6.)  As  liquids  have  no  form  of 
their  own  but  take  the  form  of  the 
vessel  that  contains  them,  thus  the 
souls  that  love  God  have  no  will  of 
their  own  but  correspond  in  all  things 
to  their  beloved;  or  rather  they  have 
a  pliable  heart  that  conforms  itself 
to  everything  that  is  pleasing  to  the 
Lord  in  opposition  to  the  hard 
hearted  that  resist  Him. 

How  can  our  works  be  conducive 
to  the  honor  of  God  if  they  are  not 
accomplished  according  to  His  good 
pleasure?  "And  Samuel  said,  Doth 
the  Lord  desire  holocausts  and  vic 
tims,  and  not  rather  that  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  should  be  obeyed?" 


The  Perfection  of  Charity      79 

(i  Kings  xv.  22.)  The  greatest 
honor  we  can  bestow  on  God  consists 
in  doing  His  holy  will  in  all  things. 
This  our  divine  Saviour  sought  to 
teach  us  by  example  when  He  came 
down  upon  this  earth  to  spread  the 
honor  of  His  heavenly  Father  among 
men.  Listen !  St.  Paul  makes  Him 
address  His  eternal  Father,  "Sacri 
fice  and  oblation  Thou  wouldest 
not;  but  a  body  Thou  hast  fitted 
to  me.  .  .  .  Then  said  I:  "Be 
hold  I  come  to  do  Thy  will  O  God." 
(Hebrews  x.  5,  9.)  That  is,  "The 
holocaust  offered  Thee  by  men  Thou 
hast  rejected.  Thou  wiliest  that  I 
should  sacrifice  to  Thee  the  body 
Thou  has  given  me.  Behold  I 
am  ready  to  accomplish  Thy  will." 
Our  Saviour  attested  repeatedly  that 
He  had  come  to  do  the  will  of  His 
Father.  "I  came  down  from  heaven, 


8o      The  Perfection  of  Charity 

not  to  do  my  own  will,  but  the  will  of 
Him  that  sent  me."  (St.  John  vi. 
38.)  He  declares  He  will  look  upon 
him  who  accomplishes  the  will  of  God 
as  a  brother.  "For  whosoever  shall 
do  the  will  of  My  Father,  that  is 
in  heaven,  he  is  my  brother." 
.(Matt.  xii.  50.)  The  saints  had 
no  other  object  in  all  they  did  than  to 
do  the  will  of  God  according  to  the 
example  of  their  divine  Master. 
They  knew  full  well  that  the  perfec 
tion  of  a  soul  consists  therein. 
.Blessed  Henry  Suso  says,  "  God  does 
not  demand  that  we  enjoy  many  and 
sublime  revelations  but  that  in  all 
things  we  subject  ourselves  to  the  will 
of  God."  St.  Teresa  said:  "During 
meditation  we  should  not  seek  any 
thing  else  than  to  make  our  will  con 
formable  to  the  will  of  God,  being 
persuaded  that  herein  consists  the 


The  Perfection  of  Charity      8 1 

height  of  perfection.  He  that  excels 
in  this  regard  will  also  receive  the 
greatest  gifts  of  grace  from  God  and 
make  the  greatest  progress  in  the 
interior  life."  (Castles  of  the  Soul  II. 
Chapt.  i.)  One  day  the  blessed  Do 
minican  Sister  Stephanie  of  Soncino 
was  transported  in  spirit  into  heaven. 
There  she  saw  several  souls  among 
the  Seraphim  she  had  known  on 
earth.  It  was  revealed  to  her  they 
had  attained  this  sublime  degree  of 
glory  because  they  had  practised 
conformity  to  the  will  of  God  so 
perfectly  on  earth. 

From  the  blessed  denizens  of 
heaven  we  must  learn  how  to  love 
God.  Their  pure  and  perfect  love 
of  our  Lord  consists  in  the  perfect 
oneness  of  their  will  with  His. 
Should  the  Seraphim  happen  to  be 
lieve  it  to  be  God's  will  that  for  all 


82      The  Perfection  of  Chanty 

eternity  they  should  heap  up  the 
sands  on  the  shores  of  the  oceans  or 
root  out  the  weeds  in  the  gardens, 
they  would  do  so  with  the  greatest 
joy.  Nay,  should  God  utter  the  wish 
that  they  burn  in  hell  they  would 
instantly  plunge  themselves  into  the 
fiery  abyss  to  comply  with  His  holy 
will.  Therefore  our  Lord  teaches 
us  to  pray  that  we  on  earth  may  ac 
complish  the  will  of  God  as  the 
Angels  are  doing  in  heaven.  uThy 
will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in 
heaven." 

Since  we  possess  nothing  that  is  so 
dear  to  us  as  our  own  will  the  sacri 
fice  of  it  is  the  most  pleasing  offering 
we  can  give  the  Lord.  It  is  also 
the  sacrifice  that  he  most  urgently 
demands,  saying:  "My  son,  give  me 
the  heart."  (Prov.  xxiii.  26.)  That 
is  to  say,  thy  will.  St.  Augustine 


The  Perfection  of  Charity      83 

says  we  cannot  offer  God  anything 
more  pleasing  than  when  we  say: 
"Take  entire  possession  of  us,  we 
give  Thee  our  entire  will."  He  that 
gives  to  God  his  own  will  gives  Him 
everything.  He  that  offers  God  his 
property  in  bestowing  alms,  his  blood 
by  scourging,  his  food  by  fasting 
gives  a  part  of  what  he  possesses. 
But  he  that  gives  God  his  own  will 
gives  Him  everything  and  can  then 
say:  "O  Lord,  I  am  poor  (have  but 
little  to  offer)  but  I  will  give  Thee  all 
I  am  able  to  give;  after  giving  up  my 
will  nothing  more  remains  to  me  that 
I  could  give." 

In  order  that  this  sacrifice  be  per 
fect  it  must  possess  two  qualities:  it 
must  be  entire  and  constant.  Some 
persons  do  give  their  will  to  God  but 
with  a  sort  of  reservation.  Such  a 
gift  is  not  very  pleasing  to  God. 


84      The  Perfection  of  Charity 

Others  give  God  their  will  but  later 
on  take  the  gift  back  again.  These 
are  in  the  greatest  danger  of  being 
abandoned  by  God.  To  avert  such 
a  misfortune  all  our  efforts,  all  our 
desires  and  prayers  ought  to  be  for 
perseverance  that  we  may  never  de 
sire  aught  but  what  God  wills.  Let 
us  daily  renew  our  entire  abandon 
ment  into  the  hands  of  God.  Let  us 
beware  of  desiring  anything  what 
ever  except  the  good  pleasure  of  God. 
This  will  rid  us  of  all  passions,  con 
cupiscences,  fear  and  disorderly  at 
tachments.  One  act  of  perfect  con 
formity  to  the  will  if  God  is  able  to 
lead  us  to  perfection.  Let  us  look 
on  Saul.  When  on  the  point  of 
persecuting  the  Christians  he  is  en 
lightened  and  converted  by  Jesus 
Christ.  What  does  Saul  do?  What 
does  he  say?  One  thing  only.  He 


The  Perfection  of  Charity      85 

pledges  himself  to  do  the  will  of 
God.  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do?"  (Acts  ix.  6.)  Behold,  at 
once  the  Lord  calls  him  a  vessel  of 
election  to  carry  his  name  before  the 
Gentiles. 

Very  few  Christians  understand 
wherein  true  piety  consists.  The 
majority  accommodate  it  to  their 
inclinations.  If  they  are  sad  they 
seek  solitude.  If  they  feel  drawn  to 
an  active  life,  they  devote  themselves 
to  works  for  the  zeal  of  souls.  If 
they  feel  drawn  to  a  life  of  severity 
they  practise  penance  and  mortifica 
tion.  If  they  are  inclined  to  liber 
ality  they  give  alms.  Others  prac 
tise  prayer  and  devotions  dili 
gently,  and  in  these  things  they 
place  their  whole  sanctity.  All 
these  are  mistaken.  The  external 
works  may  be  the  fruit  of  the  love  of 


86      The  Perfection  of  Charity 

God.  But  the  essence  of  charity  is 
entire  conformity  with  the  divine  will. 
On  that  account  it  is  necessary  to 
renounce  oneself  and  choose  what  is 
most  pleasing  to  God  from  the  sole 
motive  that  He  is  deserving  of  it. 

Those  that  place  sanctity  in  under 
going  penances,  in  receiving  Commu 
nion  frequently,  and  reciting  many 
vocal  prayers,  most  certainly  deceive 
themselves.  Perfection  does  not  con 
sist  in  these  things.  According  to  St. 
Thomas,  perfection  consists  in  sub 
jecting  oneself  to  the  will  of  God. 
Penances,  prayers,  communions  are 
good  only  in  as  far  as  God 
wills  them.  If  they  are  not  ac 
cording  to  the  will  of  God  instead 
of  taking  pleasure  in  them  God  will 
detest  and  punish  them.  They  are, 
therefore,  means  to  unite  us  to  the 
divine  will.  But,  I  repeat,  all  per- 


The  Perfection  of  Charity      87 

fection,  all  sanctity,  consists  in  doing 
what  God  demands  of  us.  In  a  word 
the  divine  will  is  the  criterion  of  all 
that  is  good  and  is  virtuous.  As  the 
will  of  God  is  holy  it  sanctifies  every 
thing,  even  in  different  works,  pro 
vided  they  are  performed  to  please 
God. 

A  great  servant  of  God  was  right 
in  saying,  "It  is  better  to  resolve  to 
do  the  will  of  God  than  to  seek  the 
honor  of  God."  For  if  we  perform 
His  will  we  also  promote  His  honor. 
Hence  we  deceive  ourselves  if,  under 
the  pretext  of  seeking  the  honor  of 
God,  we  follow  our  own  will.  From 
all  that  has  been  said  it  follows 
clearly  that,  if  we  wish  to  sanctify 
ourselves  we  must  be  wholly  intent 
on  doing  not  our  will  but  the  will  of 
God.  All  the  divine  commandments 
and  counsels  have  the  purpose  that 


88      The  Perfection  of  Charity 

we  do  and  suffer  what  God  wills  and 
as  He  wills.  Hence  all  perfection 
can  be  summed  up  in  the  words,  uDo 
all  that  God  wills,  will  all  that  God 
wills"  and  this  with  the  sole  purpose 
of  pleasing  Him.  "Is  it  not  therefore 
true  that  all  can  become  saints,  men 
and  women,  young  and  old,  maidens 
and  mothers  of  families,  rich  and 
poor,  rulers  and  subjects,  masters 
and  apprentices,  merchants  and  sol 
diers,  business  men  and  officials?" 
(Rev.  A.  Hellbach,  C.SS.R.) 

If  we  desire  to  please  the  heart  of 
God  completely  we  must  not  be  con 
tent  to  conform  ourselves  to  His  will, 
but  we  must  strive,  so  to  speak,  to 
become  one  with  His  will.  We  con 
form  ourselves  to  the  will  of  God 
simply  by  directing  our  will  to  the 
will  of  God.  But  we  become  one 
with  His  will  when  we  make  but  one 


The  Perfection  of  Charity      89 

will  of  both,  when  we  will  only  what 
God  wills.  Or  if  we  so  totally  re 
nounce  our  own  will  that  the  will  of 
God  alone  remains  and  becomes  ours. 
This  is  the  height  of  perfection  for 
which  we  should  strive  incessantly. 
All  our  actions,  desires,  meditations 
and  prayers  must  tend  to  this.  To 
strive  for  this  more  effectually  we 
must  ask  for  the  assistance  of  our 
patron  saints,  our  angel  guardian,  of 
St.  Joseph,  and  above  all  of  the 
blessed  Mother  of  God.  The  bless- 
ed  Virgin  Mary  is  the  holiest  of 
creatures,  because  she  most  perfectly 
carried  out  the  will  of  God. 

The  pious  Dominican  Father,  John 
Tauler,  relates  the  following  incident 
that  happened  to  himself.  For  a  num 
ber  of  years  he  had  ardently  and 
fervently  prayed  God  to  send  him 
some  one  that  might  instruct  him  in 


90      The  Perfection  of  Charity 

the  truly  spiritual  life.  One  day  he 
heard  a  voice  saying,  "Go  to  that 
church  and  you  will  find  what  you 
are  seeking."  The  father  obeyed. 
At  the  door  of  the  church  pointed 
out  to  him,  he  met  a  beggar,  bare 
footed  and  clothed  in  rags.  He 
saluted  him  with  the  words:  "Good 
day,  my  friend."  "Father,"  the  poor 
man  replied,  "I  cannot  remember 
ever  having  had  a  bad  day."  "Well," 
replied  the  Father,  "may  God  grant 
you  a  happy  life!"  "Thank  God!" 
said  the  beggar,  "I  have  never  been 
unhappy,"  adding,  "Father,  it  is  not 
without  reason  that  I  say  I  never  had 
a  bad  day.  For,  when  I  suffer  hunger 
I  praise  God;  when  it  snows  or  rains 
I  bless  Him ;  when  any  one  treats  me 
with  contempt,  repels  me  or  when  I 
have  other  sufferings  I  praise  the 
Lord  for  them.  I  said  I  never  felt 


The  Perfection  of  Chanty      91 

unhappy  and  that,  also,  is  true.  I  am 
accustomed  to  will  unreservedly  all 
that  God  wills.  Whatever  comes 
upon  me,  sweet  and  bitter,  I  joyfully 
accept  from  his  hand  as  best  for  me. 
And  in  this  consists  my  good  for 
tune."  "But,"  said  Father  Tauler, 
"should  God  wish  to  condemn  you 
to  hell  what  would  you  say  then?" 
"Should  God  will  that,"  answered  the 
beggar,  "I  would,  in  love  and  humil 
ity,  so  firmly  embrace  Our  Lord  that 
if  He  cast  me  into  hell  He  would 
necessarily  have  to  follow  me.  And, 
then,  I  would  feel  happier  in  hell  in 
His  holy  embrace  than  without  Him 
in  the  enjoyment  of  all  the  joys  of 
paradise."  "Where  did  you  find 
God?"  "I  found  Him  when  I  left 
creatures."  "But  who  are  you?" 
"I  am  a  king."  "Where  is  your  king 
dom?"  "In  my  heart  where  all  is 


92      The  Perfection  of  Charity 

kept  in  strict  order;  for  my  passions 
obey  reason  and  my  reason  obeys 
God."  Finally  Father  Tauler  asked 
the  beggar  how  he  had  attained  such 
perfection.  "By  keeping  silence  with 
men  in  order  to  commune  with  God 
and  by  constantly  remaining  united  to 
God,  who  is  my  peace  and  enjoy 
ment."  Thus  this  poor  beggar  had 
attained  great  perfection;  despite 
poverty  he  esteemed  himself  richer 
than  all  the  princes  of  the  earth;  de 
spite  suffering  he  esteemed  himself 
happier  than  men  in  the  midst  of  all 
earthly  pleasures. 

O  my  God,  I  thank  Thee  for  hav 
ing  made  the  road  to  perfection  so 
easy.  I  am  determined  henceforth, 
with  the  assistance  of  Thy  grace,  to 
walk  the  way  of  perfection.  For  this 
purpose  I  unite  myself  unreservedly 
to  Thy  will  because  it  is  always  most 


The  Perfection  of  Charity      93 

holy,  most  good,  most  beautiful,  most 
perfect,  most  amiable.  O  will  of  my 
God,  how  dear  Thou  art  to  me!  I 
desire  to  live  and  die  intimately 
united  to  Thy  will.  What  is  pleasing 
to  Thee  will  be  pleasing  to  me.  Thy 
desires  will  also  be  my  desires.  O 
my  God,  assist  me :  grant  that  hence 
forth  I  may  live  to  wish  that  only 
which  Thou  desirest  and  in  order  to 
accomplish  Thy  amiable  will.  I 
detest  the  days  on  which  I  did  my 
own  will  to  Thy  great  displeasure.  I 
love  Thee,  O  will  of  my  God,  as  much 
as  I  love  God,  because  Thou  art  one 
with  God. 


MEANS    OF    ACQUIRING 
PERFECTION 

THE  DESIRE  OF  PERFECTION 
HOLY    DESIRES    ARE    USEFUL    AND 

EVEN  NECESSARY 

AN  ardent  desire  of  perfection  is 
the  first  means  that  a  Christian 
should  adopt  in  order  to  acquire 
sanctity  and  to  consecrate  his 
whole  being  to  God.  As  the 
sportsman,  to  hit  a  bird  in  flight, 
must  take  aim  in  advance  of  his  prey, 
so  a  Christian,  to  make  progress  in 
virtue,  should  aspire  to  the  highest 
degree  of  holiness  which  it  is  in  his 
power  to  attain.  "Who,"  says  holy 
David,  uwill  give  me  wings  like  a 
94 


Acquiring  Perfection  95 

dove,  and  I  will  fly  and  be  at  rest." 
(Ps.  liv.  7.)  Who  will  give  me 
the  wings  of  the  dove  to  fly  to  my 
God,  and,  divested  of  all  earthly  af 
fection,  to  repose  in  the  bosom  of  the 
divinity?  Holy  desires  are  the 
blessed  wings  with  which  the  saints 
burst  every  worltlly  tie,  and  fly  to  the 
mountain  of  perfection,  where  they 
find  that  peace  which  the  world  can 
not  give. 

But  how  do  fervent  desires  make 
the  soul  fly  to  God?  "They,"  says 
St.  Laurence  Justinian,  "supply 
strength  and  render  pains  light  and 
tolerable."  (De  Disc.  mon.  c.  6.) 
On  the  one  hand,  good  desires  give 
strength  and  courage,  and  on  the 
other  they  diminish  the  labor  and  fa 
tigue  of  ascending  the  mountain  of 
God.  Whosoever,  through  diffidence 
of  attaining  sanctity,  does  not  ar- 


96          Acquiring  Perfection 

dently  desire  to  become  a  saint,  will 
never  arrive  at  perfection.  Amanwho 
is  desirous  of  obtaining  a  valuable 
treasure  which  he  knows  is  to  be 
found  at  the  top  of  a  lofty  mountain, 
but  who,  through  fear  of  fatigue  and 
difficulty,  has  no  desire  of  ascending, 
will  never  advance  a  single  step  to 
ward  the  wished-for  object,  but  will 
remain  below  in  careless  indifference 
and  inactivity.  And  he  who,  because 
the  path  of  virtue  appears  to  him  nar 
row  and  rugged  and  difficult  to  be 
trodden,  does  not  desire  to  climb  up 
the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  and  to 
gain  the  treasure  of  perfection,  will 
always  continue  in  a  state  of  tepidity, 
and  will  never  make  the  smallest 
progress  in  the  way  of  God. 

On  the  contrary,  he  who  does  not 
desire,  and  does  not  strenuously  en 
deavor,  always  to  advance  in  holi- 


Acquiring  Perfection          97 

ness,  will,  as  we  learn  from  experi 
ence  and  from  all  the  masters  of  the 
spiritual  life,  go  backward  in  the 
path  of  virtue,  and  will  be  exposed  to 
a  great  danger  of  eternal  misery. 
"The  path  of  the  just,"  says  Solo 
mon,  "as  a  shining  light  goeth  for 
ward  and  increaseth  even  to  perfect 
day.  The  way  of  the  wicked  is  dark 
some  :  they  know  not  when  they  fall." 
(Prov.  iv.  1 8,  19.)  As  light  in 
creases  constantly  from  sunrise  to  full 
day,  so  the  path  of  the  saints  always 
advances;  but  the  way  of  the  sinners 
becomes  continually  more  dark  and 
gloomy,  till  they  know  not  where 
they  go,  and  at  length  walk  over  a 
precipice.  "Not  to  advance,"  says 
St.  Augustine,  "is  to  go  back."  (Ep. 
17,  E.  B.)  St.  Gregory  (Past.  p.  3, 
c.  i.)  beautifully  explains  this  maxim 
of  spiritual  life  by  comparing  a  Chris- 


98  Acquiring  Perfection 

tian  who  seeks  to  remain  stationary 
in  the  path  of  virtue  to  a  man  who 
is  on  a  boat  in  a  rapidly-flowing  river, 
and  striving  to  keep  the  boat  always 
in  the  same  position.  If  the  boat  be 
not  continually  propelled  against  the 
current,  it  will  be  carried  away  in  the 
opposite  direction,  and  consequently, 
without  continual  exertion,  its  sta 
tion  cannot  be  maintained.  Since 
the  fall  of  Adam  man  is  nat 
urally  inclined  to  evil  from  his 
birth.  "For  the  imagination  and 
thought  of  man's  heart  are  prone 
to  evil  from  his  youth."  (Gen. 
viii.  21.)  If  he  does  not  push  for 
ward,  if  he  does  not  endeavor,  by  in 
cessant  efforts,  to  improve  in  sanctity, 
the  very  current  of  passion  will  carry 
him  back.  "Since  you  do  not  wish  to 
proceed,"  says  St.  Bernard,  address 
ing  a  tepid  soul,  "you  must  fail." 


Acquiring  Perfection  99 

"By  no  means,"  she  replies;  "I  wish 
to  live  and  remain  in  my  present 
state.  I  will  not  consent  to  be  worse; 
and  I  do  not  desire  to  be  better." 
"You,  then,"  rejoins  the  saint,  "wish 
what  is  impossible."  (Ep.  254. )  Be 
cause  in  the  way  of  God,  a  Christian 
must  either  go  forward  and  advance 
in  virtue,  or  go  backward  and  rush 
headlong  into  vice. 

In  seeking  eternal  salvation,  we 
must,  according  to  St.  Paul,  never 
rest,  but  must  run  continually  in  the 
way  of  perfection,  that  we  may  win 
the  prize,  and  secure  an  incorruptible 
crown.  "So  run  that  you  may  ob 
tain."  (i  Cor.  ix.  24.)  If  we  fail, 
the  fault  will  be  ours;  for  God 
wills  that  all  be  holy  and  perfect. 
"This  is  the  will  of  God — your 
sanctification."  ( i  Thess.  iv.  3.)  He 
even  commands  us  to  be  perfect 


ioo        Acquiring  Perfection 

and  holy.  "Be  you  therefore 
perfect,  as  also  your  Heavenly 
Father  is  perfect."  (Matt.  v.  48.) 
"Be  holy  because  I  am  holy." 
(Lev.  xi.  44.)  He  promises  and 
gives,  as  the  holy  Council  of  Trent 
teaches,  abundant  strength,  for  the 
observance  of  all  His  commands,  to 
those  who  ask  it  from  Him.  "God 
does  not  command  impossibilities; 
but  by  His  precepts  He  admonishes 
you  to  do  what  you  can,  and  to  ask 
what  you  cannot  do;  and  He  assists 
you,  that  you  may  be  able  to  do  it. 
(Sess.  vi.  c.  n.)  God  does  not  com 
mand  impossibilities;  but  he  requires 
us  to  do  what  we  can  by  the  aid  of  his 
ordinary  grace;  and  when  greater 
helps  are  necessary,  he  exhorts  us  to 
seek  them  by  humble  prayer.  He  will 
infallibly  attend  to  our  petitions,  and 
enable  us  to  observe  all,  even  the 


Acquiring  Perfection         toi 

most  difficult,  of  His  commandments. 
Take  courage,  then,  and  adopt  the 
advice  of  the  Venerable  Father 
Torres  to  a  religious,  who  was  one 
of  his  penitents:  "Let  us,  my  child, 
put  on  the  wings  of  strong  desires, 
that,  quitting  the  earth,  we  may  fly  to 
our  Spouse  and  our  Beloved,  who  ex 
pects  us  in  the  blessed  kingdom  of 
eternity." 

St.  Augustine  teaches  that  the  life 
of  a  good  Christian  is  one  continued 
longing  after  perfection.  "The 
whole  life,"  says  the  saint,  "of  a  good 
Christian  is  holy  desire."  ( i  Jo.  tr. 
4.)  He  that  cherishes  not  in  his 
heart  the  desire  of  sanctity,  may  be 
a  Christian;  but  he  will  not  be  a  good 
one. 

As  it  is  impossible  to  arrive  at  per 
fection  in  any  art  or  science  without 
ardent  desires  of  its  attainment,  so 


IO2        Acquiring  Perfection 

no  one  has  ever  yet  become  a  saint, 
but  by  strong  and  fervent  aspirations 
after  sanctity.  "God,"  observes  St. 
Teresa,  "ordinarily  confers  his  signal 
favors  on  those  only  who  thirst  after 
His  love."  "Blessed,"  says  the 
Royal  Prophet,  "is  the  man  whose 
help  is  from  Thee:  in  his  heart  he 
hath  disposed  to  ascend  by  steps  in 
the  vale  of  tears.  .  .  .  They 
shall  go  from  virtue  to  virtue."  (Ps. 
Ixxxiii.  6,  7,  8.)  Happy  the  man 
who  has  resolved  in  his  soul  to  mount 
the  ladder  of  perfection:  he  shall  re 
ceive  abundant  aid  from  God,  and 
will  ascend  from  virtue  to  virtue. 
Such  has  been  the  practise  of  the 
saints,  and  especially  of  St.  Andrew 
Avellino,  who  even  bound  himself  by 
vow  "to  advance  continually  in  the 
way  of  Christian  perfection."  (Offic. 
10  Nov.)  St.  Teresa  used  to  say 


Acquiring  Perfection         103 

that  "God  rewards,  even  in  this  life, 
every  good  desire."  It  was  by  good 
desires  that  the  saints  arrived  in  a 
short  time  at  a  sublime  degree  of 
sanctity.  "Being  made  perfect  in  a 
short  space,  he  fulfilled  a  long  time." 
(Wis.  iv.  13.)  It  was  thus  that  St. 
Aloysius,  who  lived  but  twenty-five 
years,  acquired  such  perfection,  that 
St.  Mary  Magdalene  de  Pazzi,  who 
saw  him  in  bliss,  declared  that  his 
glory  appeared  equal  to  that  of  most 
of  the  saints.  In  the  vision  he  said 
to  her:  "My  eminent  sanctity  was 
the  fruit  of  an  ardent  desire,  which  I 
cherished  during  my  life,  of  loving 
God  as  much  as  He  deserves  to  be 
loved :  and  being  unable  to  love  Him 
with  that  infinite  love  which  He 
merits,  I  suffered  on  earth  a  continual 
martyrdom  of  love,  for  which  I  am 


IO4        Acquiring  Perfection 

now  raised  to  that  transcendent  glory 
which  I  enjoy." 

The  works  of  St.  Teresa  contain, 
besides  those  that  have  been  already 
adduced,  many  beautiful  passages  on 
this  subject.  "Our  thoughts,"  says 
the  saint,  "should  be  aspiring:  from 
great  desires  all  our  good  shall 
come."  In  another  place  she  says: 
"We  must  not  lower  our  desires,  but 
should  trust  in  God,  that  by  continual 
exertion  we  shall,  by  his  grace,  ar 
rive  at  sanctity  and  the  felicity  of  the 
saints."  Again  she  says:  "The  di 
vine  Majesty  takes  complacency  in 
generous  souls  who  are  diffident  in 
themselves."  The  great  saint  as 
serted  that  in  all  her  experience  she 
never  knew  a  timid  Christian  to  at 
tain  as  much  virtue  in  many  years  as 
certain  courageous  souls  acquire  in  a 
few  days.  The  reading  of  the  lives 


Acquiring  Perfection        105] 

of  the  saints  contributes  greatly  to 
infuse  courage  into  the  soul. 

It  will  be  particularly  useful  to 
read  the  lives  of  those  who,  after  be 
ing  great  sinners,  became  eminent 
saints;  such  as  the  lives  of  St.  Mary 
Magdalen,  St.  Augustine,  St.  Pelagia, 
St.  Mary  of  Egypt,  and  especially  of 
St.  Margaret  of  Cortona,  who  was 
for  many  years  in  a  state  of  damna 
tion,  but  even  then  cherished  a  desire 
of  sanctity,  and  who,  after  her  con 
version,  flew  to  perfection  with  such 
rapidity,  that  she  merited  to  learn  by 
revelation,  even  in  this  life,  not  only 
that  she  was  predestined  to  glory,  but 
also  that  a  place  was  prepared  for 
her  among  the  seraphim. 

St.  Teresa  says  that  the  devil  seeks 
to  persuade  us  that  it  would  be  pride 
in  us  to  desire  a  high  degree  of  per 
fection,  or  to  wish  to  imitate  the 


106        Acquiring  Perfection 

saints.  She  adds,  that  it  is  a  great 
delusion  to  regard  strong  desires  of 
sanctity  as  the  offspring  of  pride;  for 
it  is  not  pride  when  a  soul  diffident  of 
herself  and  trusting  only  in  the  power 
of  God,  resolves  to  walk  courage 
ously  in  the  way  of  perfection,  saying 
with  the  Apostle:  "I  can  do  all 
things  in  Him  who  strengtheneth 
me."  (Phil.  vi.  13.)  Of  myself  I 
can  do  nothing;  but  by  His  aid  I  shall 
be  able  to  do  all  things,  and  therefore 
I  resolve,  with  his  grace,  to  desire  to 
love  Him  as  the  saints  have  loved 
Him. 

It  is  very  profitable  frequently  to 
aspire  after  the  most  exalted  virtue, 
and  to  desire  it;  such  as  to  love  God 
more  than  all  the  saints;  to  suffer  for 
the  love  of  Him  more  than  all  the 
martyrs;  to  bear  and  to  pardon  all 
injuries;  to  embrace  every  sort  of  fa- 


Acquiring  Perfection         107 

tigue  and  suffering,  for  the  sake  of 
saving  a  single  soul;  and  to  perform 
similar  acts  of  perfect  charity.  Be 
cause  these  holy  aspirations  and  de 
sires,  though  their  object  may  never 
be  attained,  are,  in  the  first  place, 
very  meritorious  in  the  sight  of  God, 
who  glories  in  men  of  good  will,  as 
He  abominates  a  perverse  heart  and 
evil  inclinations.  Secondly,  because  the 
habit  of  aspiring  to  heroic  sanctity 
animates  and  encourages  the  soul  to 
perform  acts  of  ordinary  and  easy 
virtue.  Hence,  it  is  of  great  impor 
tance  to  propose  in  the  morning  to 
labor  as  much  as  possible  for  God 
during  the  day;  to  resolve  to  bear  pa 
tiently  all  crosses  and  contradictions; 
to  observe  constant  recollection;  and 
to  make  continual  acts  of  the  love  of 
God.  Such  was  the  practise  of  the 
seraphic  St.  Francis.  "He  pro- 


io8        Acquiring  Perfection 

posed,"  says  St.  Bonaventure,  "with 
the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  do 
great  things.'*  St.  Teresa  asserts 
that  "the  Lord  is  as  well  pleased  with 
good  desires  as  with  their  fulfil 
ment."  Oh !  how  much  better  it  is  to 
serve  God  than  to  serve  the  world. 
To  acquire  goods  of  the  earth,  to 
procure  wealth,  honors  and  applause 
of  men,  it  is  not  enough  to  pant  after 
them  with  ardor;  no,  to  desire  and 
not  to  obtain  them  only  renders  their 
absence  more  painful.  But  to  merit 
the  riches  and  the  favor  of  God,  it  is 
sufficient  to  desire  His  grace  and  love. 
St.  Augustine  relates  that  in  a  con 
vent  of  hermits  there  entered  two  offi 
cers  of  the  emperor's  court,  one  of 
whom  began  to  read  the  life  of  St. 
Anthony.  "He  read,"  says  the  holy 
Doctor,  "and  his  heart  was  stripped 
of  the  world."  Turning  to  his  com- 


Acquiring  Perfection         109 

panion,  he  said:  " What  do  we  seek? 
Can  we  expect  from  the  emperor  any 
thing  better  than  his  friendship? 
Through  how  many  dangers  are  we 
to  reach  still  greater  perils?  and  how 
long  shall  this  last?  Fools  that  we 
have  been,  shall  we  still  continue  to 
serve  the  emperor  in  the  midst  of  so 
many  labors,  fears  and  troubles?  We 
can  hope  for  nothing  better  than  his 
favor;  and  should  we  obtain  it,  we 
would  only  increase  the  danger  of  our 
eternal  reprobation.  It  is  only  with 
difficulty  that  we  shall  ever  procure 
the  patronage  of  Caesar,  but  if  I  will 
it,  behold  I  am  in  a  moment  the 
friend  of  God."  (Conf.  i.  8,  c.  6.) 
Because  whoever  wishes  with  a  true 
and  resolute  desire  for  the  friendship 
of  God,  instantly  obtains  it. 

I  say,   "with  a  true  and  resolute 
desire,"   for  little  profit  is   derived 


no        Acquiring  Perfection 

from  the  fruitless  desires  of  slothful 
souls,  who  always  desire  to  be  saints, 
but  never  advance  a  single  step  in  the 
way  of  God.  Of  them  Solomon  says : 
"The  sluggard  willeth  and  willeth 
not."  (Prov.  xiii.  4.)  And  again: 
"Desires  kill  the  slothful."  (Ibid. 
xxi.  25.)  The  tepid  soul  desires  per 
fection,  but  reflecting  on  the  fatigue 
necessary  for  its  attainment,  she  de 
sires  it  not.  Thus  "she  willeth  and 
willeth  not."  Her  desires  of  sanctity 
are  not  efficacious ;  they  have  for  their 
object  means  of  salvation  incompat 
ible  with  her  state.  ...  "I  do  not," 
says  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  "approve  of 
the  conduct  of  those  who,  while 
bound  by  an  obligation,  or  placed 
in  any  state,  spend  their  time 
in  wishing  for  another  manner 
of  life,  inconsistent  with  their 
duties;  or  for  exercises  incompatible 


Acquiring  Perfection         1 1 1 

with  their  present  state.  For  these 
desires  dissipate  the  heart,  and  make 
it  languish  in  the  necessary  exer 
cises."  (Introduct.  ch.  37.)  It  is, 
then,  the  duty  of  every  Christian  to 
aspire  only  after  that  perfection 
which  is  suitable  to  his  present  state 
and  to  his  actual  obligations;  and 
whether  a  superior,  or  a  subject, 
whether  in  sickness  or  in  health,  the 
vigor  of  youth  or  the  imbecility  of 
old  age,  to  adopt,  resolutely,  the 
means  of  sanctity  suitable  to  his  con 
dition  of  life.  "The  devil,"  says  St. 
Teresa,  "sometimes  persuades  us  that 
we  have  acquired  the  virtue,  for  ex 
ample,  of  patience,  because  we  de 
termine  to  suffer  a  great  deal  for 
God.  We  feel  really  convinced  that 
we  are  ready  to  accept  any  cross, 
however  great,  for  his  sake;  and  this 
conviction  makes  us  quite  content,  for 


1 12        Acquiring  Perfection 

the  devil  assists  us  to  believe  that  we 
are  willing  to  bear  all  things  for  God. 
I  advise  you  not  to  trust  much  to  such 
virtue,  not  to  think  that  you  even 
know  it,  except  in  name,  until  you  see 
it  tried.  It  will  probably  happen  that 
on  the  first  occasion  of  contradiction 
all  this  patience  will  fall  to  the 
ground." 

MORAL    NECESSITY    OF    MENTAL 
PRAYER 

Let  us  now  come  to  what  is 
most  important — the  means  to  be 
adopted  for  acquiring  perfection. 
The  principal  means  is  mental  prayer, 
and  particularly  the  meditation 
of  the  claims  which  God  has  to 
our  love,  and  of  the  love  which  he 
has  borne  us,  especially  in  the  great 
work  of  redemption.  To  redeem  us, 


Acquiring  Perfection          113 

a  God  has  even  sacrificed  His  life  in 
a  sea  of  sorrows  and  contempt;  and 
to  obtain  our  love  he  has  gone  so 
far  as  to  make  Himself  our  food. 
To  inflame  the  soul  with  the  fire  of 
divine  love,  these  truths  must  be 
frequently  meditated.  "In  my  med 
itation,"  says  David,  "a  fire  shall 
flame  out."  (Ps.  xxxviii.  4).  When 
I  contemplate  the  goodness  of  my 
God,  the  flames  of  charity  fill  my 
whole  heart. 

Let  us  examine  what  makes  men 
tal  prayer  so  necessary. 

i.  In  the  first  place,  without  men 
tal  prayer  a  soul  is  without  light. 
"They,"  says  St.  Augustine,  "who 
keep  their  eyes  shut,  cannot  see  the 
way  of  their  country."*  The  eter- 

*  By  insisting  on  the  moral  necessity 
of  mental  prayer,  St.  Alphonsus  does  not 
demand  that  every  one  must  follow  a  certain 
method.  There  are  many  methods  and  de- 


114       Acquiring  Perfection 

nal  truths  are  all  spiritual  things 
that  are  seen,  not  with  the  eyes  of 
the  body,  but  with  the  eyes  of  the 
mind,  that  is,  by  reflection  and  con 
sideration.  Now,  they  who  do  not 
make  use  of  mental  prayer  do  not 
see  these  truths,  nor  do  they  see  the 
importance  of  eternal  salvation,  and 
the  means  that  they  must  adopt  in 

grees  of  mental  prayer.  There  is  a  method 
of  mental  prayer  that  all  can  use,  viz.,  calling 
to  mind  a  sermon;  reading  from  some  pious 
book  and  stopping  between  the  sentences ;  then 
reflecting  a  moment,  applying  the  reading,  etc., 
to  oneself,  making  short  aspirations,  asking 
for  pardon,  for  help  of  grace  and  taking  an 
appropriate  resolution.  By  this  means  many 
are  converted  on  missions  and  in  retreats. 
This  sort  of  mental  prayer  may  be  said  to  be 
necessary  for  all  Christians  to  obtain  conver 
sion  and  holy  perseverance.  By  reflecting  on 
the  disadvantageous  traits  of  one's  temper 
ament,  as  explained  above,  it  will  be  easy  to 
discover  the  faults  to  which  one  is  prone. 
This  reflection  will  render  easy  the  petitions 
for  one's  spiritual  wants.  To  facilitate  this 
sort  of  mental  prayer,  the  prayers  composed 
by  St.  Alphonsus  were  retained  in  the  follow 
ing  chapters. 


Acquiring  Perfection          11$ 

order  to  obtain  it.  The  loss  of  so 
many  souls  arises  from  the  neglect 
of  considering  the  great  affair  of  our 
salvation,  and  what  we  must  do  in 
order  to  be  saved.  "With  deso 
lation,"  says  the  prophet  Jeremias, 
"is  all  the  land  made  desolate: 
because  there  is  none  that  considereth 
in  the  heart."  (Jer.  xii.  11.)  On 
the  other  hand,  the  Lord  says  that 
he  who  keeps  before  his  eyes  the 
truths  of  faith,  death,  judgment,  and 
the  happy  or  unhappy  eternity  that 
awaits  us,  shall  never  fall  into  sin. 
"In  all  thy  works  remember  thy  last 
end,  and  thou  shalt  never  sin." 
(Ecclus.  vii.  40.)  "Come  near  to 
Him,"  says  David,  "and  you  shall 
be  enlightened."  (Ps.  xxxiii.  6.)  In 
another  place  our  Saviour  says  "Let 
your  loins  be  girt,  and  lamps  burn 
ing  in  your  hands."  (Luke  xii.  35.) 


1 1 6       Acquiring  Perfection 

These  lamps  are,  according  to  St. 
Bonaventure,  holy  meditations;  for 
in  prayer  the  Lord  speaks  to  us, 
and  enlightens,  in  order  to  show  us 
the  way  of  salvation.  "Thy  word  is  a 
lamp  to  my  feet."  (Ps.  cxviii.  105.) 
St.  Bonaventure  also  says  that  men 
tal  prayer  is,  as  it  were,  a  mirror,  in 
which  we  see  all  the  stains  of  the  soul. 
In  a  letter  to  the  Bishop  of  Osma, 
St.  Teresa  says:  "Although  it  ap 
pears  to  us  that  we  have  no  im 
perfections,  still  when  God  opens 
the  eyes  of  the  soul,  as  He  usually 
does  in  prayer,  our  imperfections  are 
then  clearly  seen."  (Letter  viii. )  He 
who  does  not  make  mental  prayer 
does  not  even  know  his  defects,  and 
therefore,  as  St.  Bernard  says,  he 
does  not  abhor  them.  (De  Consid. 
i.  i,  c.  2.)  He  does  not  even  know 
the  dangers  to  which  his  eternal 


Acquiring  Perfection          117 

salvation  is  exposed,  and  therefore  he 
does  not  even  think  of  avoiding  them. 
But  he  that  applies  himself  to  med 
itation  instantly  sees  his  faults,  and 
the  dangers  of  perdition,  and  seeing 
them,  he  will  reflect  on  the  remedies 
for  them.    By  meditating  on  eternity, 
David  was  excited  to  the  practise  of 
virtue,  and  to  sorrow  and  works  of 
penance    for   his    sins.      UI    thought 
upon  the  days  of  old,  and  I  had  in  my 
mind  the  eternal  years,   .    .    .  and  I 
was    exercised,     and    I     swept    my 
spirit.'*  (Ixxvi.  6.)    The  spouse  in  the 
Canticles  said:  "The  flowers  have  ap 
peared  in  our  land:  the  time  of  prun 
ing  is  come:  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is 
heard  in  our  land."     (Cant.  ii.  12.) 
When  the  soul,  like  the  solitary  tur 
tle,    retires    and    recollects    itself  in 
meditation    to    converse    with    God, 
then  the  flowers,  that  is,  good  desires 


1 1 8       Acquiring  Perfection 

appear;  then  comes  the  time  of  prun 
ing,  that  is,  the  correction  of  faults 
that  are  discovered  in  mental  prayer. 
"Consider,"  says  St.  Bernard,  "that 
the  time  of  pruning  is  at  hand,  if  the 
time  of  meditation  has  gone  before." 
(De  Consid.  12,  c.  6.)  "For,"  says 
the  saint  in  another  place,  "medi 
tation  regulates  the  affections,  di 
rects  the  actions,  and  corrects  de 
fects."  (Ibid,  i,  2,  c.  7.) 

Besides,  without  meditation  there 
is  not  strength  to  resist  the  tempta 
tions  of  our  enemies,  and  to  practise 
the  virtues  of  the  Gospel.  "Medi 
tation,"  says  the  Venerable  Bartholo 
mew  of  the  Martyrs,  "is  like  fire  with 
regard  to  iron,  which  when  cold  is 
hard,  and  can  be  wrought  only  with 
difficulty,  but  placed  in  the  fire  it  be 
comes  soft,  and  the  workman  gives  it 
any  form  he  wishes."  To  observe  the 


Acquiring  Perfection          119 

divine  precepts  and  counsels,  it  is  nec 
essary  to  have  a  tender  heart,  that  is, 
a  heart  docile  and  prepared  to  receive 
the  impressions  of  celestial  inspira 
tions,  and  ready  to  obey  them.  It 
was  this  that  Solomon  asked  of  God: 
"Give,  therefore,  to  thy  servant  an 
understanding  heart."  (3  Kings, 
iii.  9.)  Sin  has  made  our  heart  hard 
and  undocile;  for  being  altogether 
inclined  to  sensual  pleasures,  it  re 
sists,  as  the  Apostle  complained,  the 
laws  of  the  spirit.  "But  I  see  another 
law  in  my  members  fighting  against 
the  law  of  my  mind."  (Rom.  vii. 
23.)  But  the  soul  is  rendered 
docile  and  tender  to  the  influence  of 
grace  that  is  communicated  in  men 
tal  prayer.  By  the  contemplation  of 
the  divine  goodness,  the  great  love 
which  God  has  borne  him,  and  the 
immense  benefits  that  God  has  be- 


I2O       Acquiring  Perfection 

stowed  upon  him,  man  is  inflamed 
with  love,  his  heart  is  softened, 
and  made  obedient  to  the  divine 
inspirations.  But  without  mental 
prayer  his  heart  will  remain  hard  and 
restive  and  disobedient,  and  thus  he 
he  shall  be  lost.  "A  hard  heart  shall 
fare  evil  at  the  last."  (Ecclus.  iii. 
27.)  Hence,  St.  Bernard  exhorted 
Pope  Eugene  never  to  omit  medita 
tion  on  account  of  external  occupa 
tions.  "I  fear  for  you,  O  Eugene, 
lest  the  multitude  of  affairs  (prayer 
and  consideration  being  intermitted), 
may  bring  you  to  a  hard  heart,  which 
abhors  not  itself,  because  it  perceives 
not."  (Consid.  i.  i.  c.  2.) 

Some  may  imagine  that  the  long 
time  which  devout  souls  give  to 
prayer,  and  which  they  could  spend 
in  useful  works,  is  unprofitable  and 
lost  time.  But  such  persons  know  not 


Acquiring  Perfection          121 

that  in  mental  prayer  souls  acquire 
strength  to  conquer  enemies  and  prac 
tise  virtue.  "From  the  leisure,"  says 
St.  Bernard,  "strength  comes  forth." 
Hence  the  Lord  commanded  that 
his  spouse  should  not  be  disturbed. 
"I  adjure  you  .  .  .  that  you  stir  not 
up,  nor  make  the  beloved  to  awake 
till  she  please."  (Cant.  ii.  7.)  He 
says,  until  she  please :  for  the  sleep  or 
repose  which  the  soul  takes  in  men 
tal  prayer  is  perfectly  voluntary,  but 
is  at  the  same  time  necessary  for  its 
spiritual  life.  He  who  does  not 
sleep,  has  not  strength  to  work,  nor 
to  walk,  but  goes  tottering  along  the 
way.  The  soul  that  does  not  repose 
and  acquire  strength  in  meditation  is 
not  able  to  resist  temptations,  and 
totters  on  the  road.  In  the  life  of  the 
Venerable  Sister  Mary  Crucified  we 
read  that  while  at  prayer  she  heard  a 


1 2 2       Acquiring  Perfection 

devil  boasting  that  he  had  made  a  cer 
tain  pious  soul  omit  the  accustomed 
meditation,  and  that  afterwards,  be 
cause  he  continued  to  tempt  her,  she 
was  in  danger  of  consenting  to  mortal 
sin.  The  servant  of  God  ran  to  her, 
and  with  the  divine  aid  rescued  her 
from  the  criminal  suggestion.  Behold 
the  danger  to  which  one  who  omits 
meditation  exposes  his  soul.  St.  Ter 
esa  used  to  say  that  he  who  neglects 
mental  prayer  needs  not  a  devil  to 
carry  him  to  hell,  but  that  he  brings 
himself  there  with  his  own  hands. 
And  the  Abbot  Diodes  said  that  "the 
man  who  omits  mental  prayer  soon 
becomes  either  a  beast  or  a  devil." 

Without  petitions  on  our  part  God 
does  not  grant  the  divine  helps,  and 
without  aid  from  God  we  cannot 
observe  the  commandments;  hence 
the  Apostle  exhorted  his  disciples  to 


Acquiring  Perfection          123 

pray  always.  "Pray  without  ceas 
ing."  Thess.  v.  17.)  "We  are 
poor  mendicants.  I  am  a  beggar 
and  poor."  (Ps.  xxxix.  18.)  The  en 
tire  revenue  of  the  poor  consists  in 
asking  alms  from  the  rich;  and  our 
riches  also  consist  in  prayer,  that  is, 
in  the  prayer  of  petition;  for  by 
prayer,  says  St.  John  Chrysostom, 
"we  may  obtain  from  God  His 
Graces.  Without  prayer  it  is  abso 
lutely  impossible  to  lead  a  good  life." 
(De  or  D.  i,  i.)  and,  says  the  learned 
Monsignor  Abelly,  "what  but  the 
neglect  of  mental  prayer  can  be  the 
cause  of  the  great  relaxation  of 
morals  that  we  witness?"  God  has 
an  ardent  desire  to  enrich  us  with  his 
graces,  but,  as  St.  Gregory  writes,  he 
wishes  to  be  entreated,  and,  as  it 
were,  forced  by  our  prayers  to  grant 
them  to  us.  "God,"  says  the  holy 


124       Acquiring  Perfection 

Doctor,  "wishes  to  be  asked,  he 
wishes  to  be  compelled,  he  wishes  to 
be  overcome  by  a  certain  importun 
ity."  (In  Ps.  poenit.  6.)  According 
to  St.  John  Chrysostom,  it  is  impos 
sible  for  him  who  attends  to  prayer 
to  fall  into  sin.  (Ad  pop.  Ant.  horn. 
79.)  And  in  another  place  he  says 
that  when  the  devils  see  that  we  pray, 
they  immediately  cease  to  tempt  us. 
(De  or  D.  50,  i.) 

From  the  absolute  necessity  of  the 
prayer  of  petition  arises  the  moral 
necessity  of  mental  prayer;  for  he 
who  neglects  meditation,  and  is  dis 
tracted  with  worldly  affairs,  will  not 
know  his  spiritual  wants,  the  dangers 
to  which  his  salvation  is  exposed,  the 
means  which  he  must  adopt  in  order 
to  conquer  temptations,  or  even  the 
necessity  of  the  prayer  of  petition  for 
all  men;  thus  he  will  give  up  the 


Acquiring  Perfection          125 

practise  of  prayer,  and  by  neglecting 
to  ask  God's  graces,  he  will  certainly 
be  lost.  The  great  Bishop  Palafox, 
in  his  Annotations  to  the  letters  of 
St.  Teresa,  says:  "How  can  charity 
last,  unless  God  gives  perseverance? 
How  will  the  Lord  give  us  persever 
ance  if  we  neglect  to  ask  Him  for  it? 
And  how  shall  we  ask  it  without  men 
tal  prayer?  Without  mental  prayer, 
there  is  not  the  communication  with 
God  which  is  necessary  for  the  pres 
ervation  of  virtue."  And  Cardinal 
Bellarmine  says  that  for  him  who 
neglects  meditation,  it  is  morally  im 
possible  to  live  without  sin.  Some 
one  may  say,  "I  do  not  make  mental 
prayer,  but  I  say  vocal  prayers." 
But  it  is  necessary  to  know,  as  St. 
Augustine  remarks,  that  to  obtain 
divine  grace  it  is  not  enough  to 
pray  with  the  tongue:  it  is  necessary 


126       'Acquiring  Perfection 

also  to  pray  with  the  heart.  On  the 
words  of  David:  "I  cried  to  the 
Lord  with  my  voice."  (Ps.  cxli.  2) 
the  holy  Doctor  says:  "Many  cry 
not  with  their  own  voices  (that  is, 
not  the  interior  voice  of  the  soul), 
but  with  that  of  the  body."  "Your 
thoughts  are  a  cry  to  the  Lord." 
(Enarr.  in  Ps.  cxli.)  This  is  what 
the  Apostle  inculcates.  "Praying  at 
all  times  in  the  spirit."  (Eph.  vi. 
1 8.)  "Cry  within  where  God  hears." 
(In  Ps.  xxx.  en.  4.)  In  general, 
vocal  prayers  are  said  distractedly 
with  the  voice  of  the  body,  but  not 
of  the  heart,  especially  when  they  are 
long,  and  still  more  especially  when 
said  by  a  person  who  does  not  make 
mental  prayer;  and  therefore  God 
seldom  hears  them,  and  seldom 
grants  the  graces  asked.  Many  say 
the  Rosary,  the  Office  of  the  Blessed 


Acquiring  Perfection         127 

Virgin,  and  perform  other  works  of 
devotion;  but  they  still  continue  in 
sin.  It  is  impossible  for  him  who 
perseveres  in  mental  prayer  to  con 
tinue  in  sin;  he  will  either  give  up 
meditations  or  denounce  sin.  A  great 
servant  of  God  used  to  say  that  men 
tal  prayer  and  sin  cannot  exist  to 
gether.  And  this  we  see  by  experi 
ence:  they  who  make  mental  prayer 
rarely  incur  the  enmity  of  God;  and 
should  they  ever  have  the  misfortune 
of  falling  into  sin,  by  persevering  in 
mental  prayer  they  see  their  misery, 
and  return  to  God.  "Let  a  soul," 
says  St.  Teresa,  "be  ever  so  negligent, 
if  she  perseveres  in  meditation,  the 
Lord  will  bring  her  back  to  the  haven 
of  salvation."  (Life,  ch.  8.) 

All  the  saints  have  become  saints 
by  mental  prayer.  Mental  prayer  is 
the  blessed  furnace  in  which  souls  are 


128       Acquiring  Perfection 

inflamed  with  divine  love.  "In  my 
meditation,"  says  David,  "a  fire 
shall  flame  out."  (Ps.  xxxviii.  4.)  St. 
Vincent  of  Paul  used  to  say,  that  it 
would  be  a  miracle  if  a  sinner  who 
attends  at  the  sermons  in  the  mission, 
or  in  the  spiritual  exercises,  were  not 
converted.  Now,  he  who  preaches 
and  speaks  in  the  exercises  is  only  a 
man;  but  it  is  God  himself  that  speaks 
to  the  soul  in  meditation.  "I  will 
lead  her  into  the  wilderness;  and  I 
will  speak  to  her  heart."  (Osee  ii. 
14.)  St.  Catherine  of  Bologna  used 
to  say:  "He  who  does  not  practise 
mental  prayer  deprives  himself  of  the 
bond  that  unites  the  soul  to  God; 
hence,  finding  her  alone,  the  devil  will 
easily  make  her  his  own."  "How," 
she  would  say,  "can  I  conceive  that 
the  love  of  God  is  found  in  the  soul 


Acquiring  Perfection          129 

that  cares  but  little  to  treat  with  God 
in  prayer?" 

Where  but  in  meditation  have  the 
saints  been  inflamed  with  divine  love  ? 
By  means  of  mental  prayer  St.  Peter 
of  Alcantara  was  inflamed  to  such  a 
degree  that  in  order  to  cool  himself 
he  ran  into  a  frozen  pool,  and  the 
frozen  water  began  to  boil  like  water 
in  a  caldron  placed  on  a  fire.  In 
mental  prayer  St.  Philip  Neri  became 
inflamed,  and  trembled  so  that  he 
shook  the  entire  room.  In  mental 
prayer  St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga  was  so 
inflamed  with  divine  ardor  that  his 
very  face  appeared  to  be  on  fire,  and 
his  heart  beat  as  strongly  as  if  it 
wished  to  fly  from  the  body. 

St.  Laurence  Justinian  says:  uBy 
the  efficacy  of  mental  prayer  tempta 
tion  is  banished,  sadness  is  driven 


130       Acquiring  Perfection 

away,  lost  virtue  is  restored,  fervor 
which  has  grown  cold  is  excited, 
and  the  lovely  flame  of  love  is 
augmented."  Hence,  St.  Aloysius 
Gonzaga  has  justly  said  that  he  who 
does  not  make  much  mental  prayer 
will  never  attain  a  high  degree  of 
perfection. 

UA  man  of  prayer,"  says  David, 
"is  like  a  tree  planted  near  the  current 
of  waters,  which  brings  forth  fruit  in 
due  time;  all  his  actions  prosper 
before  God.  Blessed  is  the  man 
.  .  .  who  shall  meditate  on  his  law 
day  and  night !  And  he  shall  be  like 
a  tree  which  is  planted  near  the  run 
ning  waters,  which  shall  bring  forth 
its  fruit  in  due  season,  and  his  leaf 
shall  not  fall  off :  and  all,  whatsoever 
he  shall  do,  shall  prosper."  (Ps.  i. 
1-3.)  Mark  the  words,  in  due  sea 
son;  that  is,  at  the  time  when  he 


Acquiring  Perfection         131 

ought  to  bear  such  a  pain,  such  an 
affront,  etc. 

St.  John  Chrysostom  compared 
mental  prayer  to  a  fountain  in  the 
middle  of  a  garden.  Oh!  what  an 
abundance  of  flowers  and  verdant 
plants  do  we  see  in  the  garden  which 
is  always  refreshed  with  water  from 
the  fountain.  Such,  precisely,  is  the 
soul  that  practises  mental  prayer; 
you  will  see  that  she  always  advances 
in  good  desires,  and  that  she  always 
brings  forth  more  abundant  fruits  of 
virtue.  Whence  does  she  receive  so 
many  blessings?  From  meditation, 
by  which  she  is  continually  irrigated. 
Thy  plants  are  a  paradise  of  pome 
granates  with  the  fruits  of  the 
orchard,  .  .  .  the  fountain  of  gar 
dens,  the  well  of  living  waters, 
which  run  with  a  strong  stream  from 
Libanus."  (Cant.  4,  13.)  But  let  the 


132       Acquiring  Perfection 

fountain  cease  to  water  the  garden, 
and,  behold,  the  flowers,  plants,  and 
all  instantly  wither  away;  and  why? 
Because  the  water  has  failed.  You 
will  see  that  as  long  as  a  soul  makes 
mental  prayer  she  is  modest,  humble, 
devout,  and  mortified  in  all  things. 
But  let  her  omit  meditation,  you  will 
instantly  find  her  wanting  in  modesty 
of  the  eyes,  proud,  resenting  every 
word,  indevout,  no  longer  frequent 
ing  the  sacraments  and  the  church; 
you  will  find  her  attached  to  vanity, 
to  useless  conversations,  to  pastimes, 
and  to  earthly  pleasures;  and  why? 
The  water  has  failed,  and  therefore 
fervor  has  ceased.  "My  soul  is  as 
earth  without  water  unto  thee  .  .  . 
My  spirit  hath  fainted  away."  (Ps. 
cxlii.  6,  7.)  The  soul  has  neglected 
mental  prayer,  the  garden  is  there 
fore  dried  up,  and  the  miserable  soul 


Acquiring  Perfection          133 

goes  from  bad  to  worse.  When  a 
soul  abandons  meditation  St.  John 
Chrysostom  regards  it  not  only  as 
sick,  but  as  dead.  "He,"  says  the 
holy  Doctor,  uwho  prays  not  to  God, 
nor  desires  to  enjoy  assiduously  his 
divine  conversation,  is  dead.  .  .  . 
The  death  of  the  soul  is  not  to  be 
prostrated  before  God."  (D.  i.  i.) 
The  same  Father  says  that  mental 
prayer  is  the  root  of  the  fruitful  vine. 
(D.  i,  i.)  And  St.  John  Climacus 
writes  that  prayer  is  "a  bulwark 
against  the  assault  of  afflictions,  the 
spring  of  virtues,  the  procurer  of 
graces."  (Seal.  par.  gr.  23). 
Rufinus  asserts  that  all  the  spiritual 
progress  of  the  soul  flows  from 
mental  prayer.  (Ps.  xxxvi.)  And 
Gerson  goes  so  far  as  to  say,  that  "he 
who  neglects  meditation  cannot,  with- 


134       Acquiring  Perfection 

out  a  miracle,  lead  the  life  of  a 
Christian."  (Med.  cons.  7.) 

Speaking  of  mental  prayer,  Jere- 
mias  says:  uHe  shall  sit  solitary,  and 
hold  his  peace;  because  he  hath  taken 
it  up  upon  himself."  (Lam.  iii.  28.) 
That  is,  a  soul  cannot  have  a  relish 
for  God,  unless  it  withdraws  from 
creatures,  and  sits,  that  is  stops,  to 
contemplate  the  goodness,  the  love, 
the  amiableness  of  God.  But  when 
solitary  and  recollected  in  meditation, 
that  is,  when  it  takes  away  its 
thoughts  from  the  world,  it  is  then 
raised  above  itself,  and  departs  from 
prayer  very  different  from  what  it 
was  when  it  began  it. 

St.  Ignatius  of  Loyola  used  to  say 
that  mental  prayer  is  the  short  way 
to  attain  perfection.  In  a  word,  he 
who  advances  most  in  meditation 
makes  the  most  progress  in  per- 


Acquiring  Perfection          135 

fection.  In  mental  prayer  the  soul 
is  filled  with  holy  thoughts,  with  holy 
affections,  desires,  and  holy  resolu 
tions,  and  with  love  for  God.  There 
man  sacrifices  his  passions,  his  appe 
tites,  his  earthly  attachments,  and  all 
the  interests  of  self-love.  Moreover, 
by  praying  for  them  in  mental  prayer 
we  can  save  many  sinners,  as  was 
done  by  St.  Teresa,  St.  Mary 
Magdalene  de  Pazzi,  and  is  done  by 
all  souls  enamoured  of  God,  who 
never  omit  in  their  meditations  to 
recommend  to  him  all  infidels,  here 
tics  and  all  poor  sinners;  begging  him 
also  to  give  zeal  to  priests  who  work 
in  his  vineyard,  that  they  may  con 
vert  his  enemies.  In  mental  prayer 
we  can  also,  by  the  sole  desire  of 
performing  them,  gain  merit  of 
many  good  works  which  we  do  not 
perform.  For  as  the  Lord  punishes 


136       Acquiring  Perfection 

the  bad  desires,  so,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  rewards  all  our  good  de 
sires. 

It  is  necessary,  above  all,  to  be 
careful  not  to  go  to  mental  prayer  in 
order  to  enjoy  consolation  and  ten 
derness,  but  for  the  purpose  of  pleas 
ing  God,  and  of  learning  from  him 
how  he  wishes  to  be  loved  and  served 
by  us.  Father  Balthazar  Alvarez 
used  to  say:  "The  love  of  God  con 
sists  not  in  receiving  his  favors,  but 
in  serving  him  through  the  sole  mo 
tive  of  pleasing  him.  And  he  would 
say  that  divine  consolation  is  like  the 
refreshment  that  we  take  on  a  jour 
ney  not  to  rest  in  it,  but  in  order 
to  go  forward  with  greater  vigor. 
When  you  feel  aridity  in  meditation, 
be  careful  to  persevere,  in  spite  of 
all  the  tediousness  that  you  experi 
ence,  and  know  then  that  you  give 


Acquiring  Perfection          137 

great  pleasure  to  your  Spouse  and 
acquire  great  merits.  Say  to  Him 
then:  "O  my  Jesus,  why  dost  Thou 
treat  me  thus?  Thou  hast  stripped 
me  of  all  things,  of  property,  of  rela 
tives,  of  my  will,  and  I  have  been 
satisfied  with  all  these  privations,  in 
order  to  gain  Thee;  but  why  dost 
Thou  now  deprive  me  also  of  Thy 
self?"  Say  this  to  Him  with  an  hum 
ble  affection;  He  will  make  thee  feel 
that  he  does  all  because  He  loves 
thee,  and  for  thy  greater  good. 
Father  Torres  used  to  say:  "To 
carry  the  cross  with  Jesus  without 
consolation,  makes  the  soul  run  and 
fly  to  perfection." 

PRAYER 

My  Jesus,  Thou  hast  loved  me  in 
the  midst  of  pains;  and  in  the  midst 


138        Acquiring  Perfection 

of  sufferings  I  wish  to  love  Thee. 
Thou  hast  spared  nothing:  Thou 
hast  even  given  Thy  blood  and  Thy 
life  in  order  to  gain  my  love;  and 
shall  I  continue  as  hitherto,  to  be  re 
served  in  loving  Thee?  No,  my  Re 
deemer,  it  shall  not  be  so;  the  in 
gratitude  with  which  I  have  hitherto 
treated  Thee  is  sufficient.  To  Thee 
I  consecrate  my  whole  heart.  Thou 
alone  dost  deserve  all  my  love.  Thee 
alone  do  I  wish  to  love.  My  God, 
since  Thou  wishest  me  to  be  entirely 
Thine,  give  me  strength  to  serve 
Thee  as  Thou  deservest,  during  the 
remainder  of  my  life.  Pardon  my 
tepidity  and  my  past  infidelities. 
How  often  have  I  omitted  mental 
prayer  in  order  to  indulge  my  ca 
price.  Alas!  how  often,  when  it 
was  in  my  power  to  remain  with  Thee 
in  order  to  please  Thee,  have  I  re- 


Acquiring  Perfection         139 

mained  with  creatures  so  as  to  offend 
Thee.  Oh!  that  so  many  lost  years 
would  return!  But,  since  they  will 
not  return,  the  remaining  days  of  my 
life  must  be  entirely  Thine,  O  my 
beloved  Lord.  I  love  Thee,  O  my 
Jesus !  I  love  Thee,  O  my  Sovereign 
Good!  Thou  art,  and  shalt  be  for 
ever,  the  only  love  of  my  soul. 

O  Mother  of  fair  love,  O  Mary, 
obtain  for  me  the  grace  to  love  thy 
Son,  and  to  spend  the  remainder  of 
my  life  in  His  love.  Thou  dost  obtain 
from  Jesus  whatsoever  thou  wishest; 
through  thy  prayers  I  hope  for  this 
gift. 


140       Acquiring  Perfection 


THE  PRACTISE  OF  MENTAL  PRAYER 

Having  seen  the  great  necessity  of 
mental  prayer  for  Christians,  and  the 
great  blessings  that  they  may  draw 
from  it,  let  us  now  consider  the 
practise  of  meditation,  with  regard 
to  the  place,  and  the  manner. 

I.  THE  PLACE  SUITABLE  FOR  MENTAL 
PRAYER 

With  regard  to  the  place,  it  should 
be  solitary.  "But,"  said  our  Saviour, 
"when  thou  shalt  pray,  enter  into  thy 
chamber,  and  having  shut  the  door, 
pray  to  thy  Father  in  secret."  ( Matt, 
vi.  6.).  When  you  wish  to  pray, 
shut  yourself  up  in  your  chamber, 
and  thus  pray  to  your  Father. 
St.  Bernard  says  that  silence  and 


Acquiring  Perfection         141 

the  absence  of  all  noise  almost 
force  the  soul  to  think  of  the  goods 
of  heaven.  (Epist.  78.). 

To  make  mental  prayer,  the  best 
place  is,  as  has  been  said,  your  own 
room ;  but  for  Religious  the  most  ap- 
propiate  place  is  the  church,  in  pres 
ence  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The 
Venerable  Father  Avila  used  to  say 
that  he  knew  no  sanctuary  more  de 
sirable  than  a  church  in  which 
Jesus  Christ  remains  in  the  Holy 
Eucharist. 

In  order  to  make  mental  prayer 
well,  it  is  necessary  to  unite  to  the 
external  silence  interior  silence,  that 
is,  detachment  from  earthly  af 
fections.  Speaking  of  certain  persons 
attached  to  the  world,  our  Lord  said 
one  day  to  St.  Teresa :  "I  would  wish 
to  speak  to  them,  but  creatures  make 
such  a  noise  in  their  ears  that  they  do 


142         Acquiring  Perfection 

not  give  me  a  moment  in  which  I  can 
make  them  listen  to  me." 


2.    THE  TIME  OF  MAKING  MENTAL 
PRAYER 

i.  With  regard  to  the  time  of  mak 
ing  mental  prayer,  St.  Isidore  used  to 
say,  that,  ordinarily  speaking,  the 
fittest  time  for  meditation  is  the  morn 
ing  and  evening.  (Spec.  disc.  p.  i,  c. 
12.)  But  according  to  St.  Gregory 
of  Nyssa,  the  morning  is  the  most 
seasonable  time  for  prayer;  because, 
says  the  saint,  when  prayer  precedes 
business,  sin  will  not  gain  admission  to 
the  soul.  (DeOr.  Dom.  or.  I.)  The 
Venerable  Father  Charles  Carafa, 
founder  of  the  Congregation  of  the 
Pious  Workers,  used  to  say  that  a 
fervent  act  of  love  made  in  the  morn 
ing  during  meditation  is  sufficient  to 


Acquiring  Perfection         143 

maintain  the  soul  in  fervor  during 
the  entire  day.  Prayer,  as  St.  Jerome 
has  written,  is  also  necessary  in  the 
evening.  (Ad.  Eustoch.)  Let  not 
the  body  go  to  rest  before  the  soul  is 
refreshed  by  mental  prayer,  which  is 
the  food  of  the  soul.  But  at  all  times 
and  in  all  places  pious  souls  can  pray, 
even  at  work,  or  at  recreation;  it  is 
enough  for  them  to  raise  the  mind  to 
God  and  to  make  good  acts,  for  in 
this  consists  mental  prayer. 

2.  With  regard  to  the  time  to  be 
spent  in  mental  prayer,  the  rule  of  the 
saints  was,  to  devote  to  it  all  the 
hours  that  were  not  necessary  for  the 
occupations  of  human  life.  St.  Fran 
cis  Borgia  employed  eight  hours  in 
the  day  in  meditation,  because  his 
Superiors  would  not  allow  him  a 
longer  time,  and  when  the  eight  hours 
were  expired,  he  earnestly  asked  per- 


144        Acquiring  Perfection 

mission  to  remain  a  little  longer  at 
prayer,  saying,  "Ah !  give  me  another 
little  quarter  of  an  hour."  St. 
Philip  Neri  was  accustomed  to  spend 
the  entire  night  in  prayer.  St. 
Anthony  the  Abbot  remained  the 
whole  night  at  prayer,  and  when  the 
sun  appeared,  which  was  the  time  as 
signed  for  terminating  his  prayer,  he 
complained  of  it  for  having  risen  too 
soon.  Father  Balthazar  Alvarez 
used  to  say  that  a  soul  that  loves  God, 
when  not  in  prayer,  is  like  a  stone  out 
of  its  centre,  in  a  violent  state;  for 
in  this  life  we  should  as  much  as  pos 
sible  imitate  the  life  of  the  saints  in 
bliss,  who  are  constantly  employed  in 
the  contemplation  of  God. 

It  is  right  to  observe,  that  with  re 
gard  to  the  posture  the  fittest  one  is 
kneeling;  but  when  it  causes  pain  and 
distraction,  a  person  may,  as  St.  John 


Acquiring  Perfection         145 

of  the  Cross  says,  make  meditation 
sitting  in  a  modest  posture. 


3.  THE  MANNER  OF  MAKING  MENTAL 
PRAYER 

As  to  the  manner  of  making  mental 
prayer,  I  will  suppose  that  you  are 
already  instructed  in  it;  but  allow  me 
to  explain  briefly  the  principal  parts 
of  mental  prayer  for  any  beginner 
into  whose  hands  this  book  may  fall. 

Mental  prayer  contains  three  parts : 
the  preparation,  the  meditation,  and 
the  conclusion. 

In  the  preparation  there  are  three 
acts:  an  act  of  faith,  of  the  presence 
of  God,  and  of  adoration;  an  act  of 
humility  and  sorrow  for  our  sins,  and 
a  petition  for  light.  They  may  be 
made  in  the  following  manner:  My 
God,  I  believe  Thee  present  within 


146        Acquiring  Perfection 

me;  I  adore  Thee  with  my  whole 
soul. 

Be  careful  to  make  this  act  with  a 
lively  faith,  for  a  lively  remembrance 
of  the  Divine  Presence  contributes 
greatly  to  remove  distractions.  Car 
dinal  Carracciolo,  Bishop  of  Aversa, 
used  to  say  that  when  a  person  is  dis 
tracted  in  meditation  there  is  reason 
to  think  that  he  has  not  made  a  lively 
act  of  faith. 

Lord,  I  should  now  be  in  hell  in 
punishment  of  the  offences  I  have 
offered  to  Thee.  I  am  sorry  for  them 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart;  have 
mercy  on  me. 

Eternal  Father,  for  the  sake  of 
Jesus  and  Mary,  give  me  light  in  this 
meditation,  that  I  may  draw  fruit 
from  it. 

We  must,  then,  recommend  our 
selves  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  by  saying 


Acquiring  Perfection         147 

a  Hail  Mary,  to  St.  Joseph,  to  our 
guardian  angel,  and  to  our  holy 
patron. 

These  acts,  according  to  St.  Francis 
de  Sales,  ought  to  be  made  with 
fervor,  but  should  be  short,  that  we 
may  pass  immediately  to  the  medita 
tion. 

On  entering  on  the  meditation  we 
must  take  leave  of  all  extraneous 
thoughts,  saying  with  St.  Bernard,  "O 
my  thoughts !  wait  here ;  ( De  cont.  D. 
c.  i.)  after  prayer  we  shall  speak  on 
other  matters."  Be  careful  not  to 
allow  the  mind  to  wander  where  it 
wishes;  but  should  a  distracting 
thought  enter,  we  must  not  be  dis 
turbed,  nor  seek  to  banish  it  with  a 
violent  effort,  but  let  us  remove  it 
calmly  and  return  to  God.  Let  us 
remember  that  the  devil  labors  hard 
to  disturb  us  in  the  time  of  meditation 


148        Acquiring  Perfection 

in  order  to  make  us  abandon  it.  Let 
him,  then,  who  omits  mental  prayer 
on  account  of  distractions  be  per 
suaded  that  he  gives  delight  to  the 
devil.  "It  is  impossible,"  says  Cas- 
sian,  "that  our  minds  should  be  free 
from  all  distractions  during  prayer." 
(Collat.  23,  c.  7).  Let  us,  then, 
never  give  up  meditation,  however 
great  our  distraction  may  be.  St. 
Francis  de  Sales  (Letter  629)  says 
that  if  in  mental  prayer  we  should  do 
nothing  else  than  continually  banish 
distractions  and  temptations,  the 
meditation  is  well  made.  And  before 
him  St.  Thomas  taught  that  involun 
tary  distractions  do  not  take  away  the 
fruit  of  mental  prayer.  (2.  2,  q.  83, 
a.  13.)  When  we  perceive  that  we 
are  deliberately  distracted,  let  us 
desist  from  the  voluntary  defect,  and 
banish  the  distraction,  but  let  us  be 


Acquiring  Perfection         149 

careful  not  to  discontinue  our  medita 
tion. 

With  regard  to  the  subject-matter 
of  meditation,  the  best  rule  is  to 
meditate  on  the  truths  or  mysteries  in 
which  the  soul  finds  most  nourishment 
and  devotion.  But  above  all,  for  a 
soul  that  loves  perfection  the  most 
appropriate  subject  is  the  Passion 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Blosius  writes  that 
our  Lord  revealed  to  several  holy 
women,  St.  Gertrude,  St.  Bridget,  St. 
Mechtilde,  and  St.  Catherine  of 
Siena  that  they  who  meditate  on 
his  Passion  are  very  dear  to  him. 
According  to  St.  Francis  de  Sales, 
(Introd.  p.  2,  ch.  i.)  the  passion  of 
our  Redeemer  should  be  the  ordinary 
subject  of  the  meditations  of  every 
Christian.  Oh  what  an  excellent  book 
is  the  Passion  of  Jesus!  There  we 
understand  better  than  in  any  other 


150        Acquiring  Perfection 

book  the  malice  of  sin,  and  also  the 
mercy  and  love  of  God  for  man.  To 
me  it  appears  that  Jesus  Christ  has 
suffered  so  many  different  pains,  the 
scourging,  the  crowning  with  thorns, 
the  crucifixion,  etc.,  that  having  be 
fore  our  eyes  so  many  painful  mys 
teries  we  might  have  a  variety  of 
different  subjects  for  meditating  on 
His  passion,  by  which  we  might  excite 
sentiment  of  gratitude  and  love. 

When  she  is  alone  at  meditation  a 
soul  will  do  well  always  to  make 
mental  prayer  with  the  aid  of  a 
book.  St.  Teresa  used  a  book  for 
seventeen  years:  she  would  first  read 
a  little,  and  then  meditate  for  a  short 
time  on  what  she  had  read.  It  is  use 
ful  to  meditate  in  this  manner,  in 
imitation  of  a  pigeon,  that  first  drinks 
and  then  raises  its  eyes  to  heaven. 

However,  let  it  be  remembered 


Acquiring  Perfection         151 

that  the  advantage  of  mental  prayer 
consists  not  so  much  in  meditating  as 
in  making  affections,  petitions  and 
resolutions:  these  are  the  three  prin 
cipal  fruits  of  meditation.  "The 
progress  of  a  soul,"  says  St.  Teresa, 
"does  not  consist  of  thinking  much  of 
God,  but  in  loving  Him  ardently; 
and  this  love  is  acquired  by  resolving 
to  do  a  great  deal  for  Him." 
(Found,  ch.  5.)  Speaking  of  men 
tal  prayer,  the  spiritual  masters  say 
that  meditation  is,  as  it  were,  the 
needle  which  when  it  has  passed  must 
be  succeeded  by  the  golden  thread 
composed,  as  has  been  said,  of 
affections,  resolutions,  and  petitions. 
When  you  have  reflected  on  the 
point  of  meditation,  and  feel  any 
pious  sentiment,  raise  your  heart  to 
God  and  offer  Him  acts  of  humility, 
of  confidence,  or  of  thanksgiving; 


152        Acquiring  Perfection 

but  above  all,  repeat  in  mental  prayer 
acts  of  contrition  and  of  love. 

The  act  of  love,  as  also  of  con 
trition,  is  the  golden  chain  that  binds 
the  soul  to  God.  An  act  of  perfect 
charity  is  sufficient  for  the  remission 
of  all  our  sins.  "Charity  covereth  a 
multitude  of  sins."  (i  Pet.  iv.  8.) 
The  Lord  has  declared  that  He  can 
not  hate  the  soul  that  loves  Him: 
"I  love  them  that  love  me."  (Prov. 
viii.  17.)  The  Venerable  Sister 
Mary  Crucified  once  saw  a  globe  of 
fire  in  which  some  straws  that  had 
been  thrown  into  it  were  instantly 
consumed.  By  this  vision  she  was 
given  to  understand  that  a  soul  by 
making  a  true  act  of  love  obtains 
the  remission  of  all  its  faults. 
Besides,  the  Angelic  Doctor  teaches 
that  by  every  act  of  love  we  acquire  a 
new  degree  of  glory.  "Every  act  of 


Acquiring  Perfection         153 

chanty,"  says  the  saint,  "merits 
eternal  life."  (i.  2.  q.  114,  a.  7.) 
Acts  of  love  may  be  made  in  the  fol 
lowing  manner: 

My  God,  I  esteem  Thee  more 
than  all  things. 

I  love  Thee  with  my  whole  heart. 
I  delight  in  Thy  felicity. 

I  would  wish  to  see  Thee  loved  by 
all. 

I  wish  only  what  Thou  wishest. 

Make  known  to  me  what  Thou 
wishest  from  me,  and  I  will  do  it. 

Dispose  as  Thou  pleasest  of  me 
and  of  all  that  I  possess. 

This  last  act  of  oblation  is  par 
ticularly  pleasing  to  God.  St.  Teresa 
was  accustomed  to  offer  herself  to 
God  in  this  manner  at  least  fifty  times 
day. 

Remember  in  this  chapter  we 
speak  of  the  ordinary  mental  prayer; 


154        Acquiring  Perfection 

for  should  a  soul  feel  itself  at  any 
time  united  to  God  by  supernatural 
or  infused  recollection,  without  any 
particular  thought  of  an  eternal 
truth  or  of  any  divine  mystery,  it 
should  not  labor  then  to  perform 
any  other  acts  than  those  to  which 
it  feels  itself  sweetly  drawn  to  God. 
It  is  then  enough  to  endeavor  with 
loving  attention  to  remain  united 
with  God  without  impeding  the  divine 
operation,  or  forcing  oneself  to 
make  reflections  and  acts.  But  this 
is  to  be  understood  when  the  Lord 
calls  the  soul  to  this  supernatural 
prayer;  but  until  we  receive  such  a 
call  we  should  not  depart  from  the 
ordinary  method  of  mental  prayer, 
but  should,  as  it  has  been  said,  make 
use  of  meditations  and  affections. 
However,  for  persons  accustomed  to 
mental  prayer  it  is  better  to  apply 


Acquiring  Perfection         155 

themselves  in  affections  than  in  con 
siderations. 

Moreover,  in  mental  prayer  it  is 
very  profitable,  and  perhaps  more 
useful  than  any  other  act,  to  repeat 
petitions  to  God,  asking  with  humility 
and  confidence  his  graces;  that  is,  his 
light,  resignation,  perseverance,  and 
the  like;  but  above  all,  the  gift  of  his 
holy  love.  St.  Francis  de  Sales  used 
to  say,  that  by  obtaining  the  divine 
love  we  obtain  all  graces;  for  a  soul 
that  truly  loves  God  with  its  whole 
heart  will  of  itself,  without  being 
admonished  by  others,  abstain  from 
giving  him  the  smallest  displeasure, 
and  will  labor  to  please  him  to  the 
best  of  its  ability. 

When  you  find  yourself  in  aridity 
and  darkness,  so  that  you  feel,  as  it 
were,  incapable  of  making  good  acts, 
it  is  sufficient  to  say:  "My  Jesus, 


156        Acquiring  Perfection 

mercy.  Lord,  for  the  sake  of  Thy 
mercy,  assist  me."  And  the  medita 
tion  made  in  this  manner  will  be  for 
you,  perhaps,  the  most  useful  and 
fruitful. 

The  Venerable  Paul  Segneri  used 
to  say  that  until  he  studied  theology 
he  employed  himself  during  the  time 
of  mental  prayer  in  making  reflec 
tions  and  affections;  but  "God" 
(these  are  his  own  words)  "after 
wards  opened  my  eyes,  and  thence 
forward  T  endeavored  to  employ 
myself  in  petitions,  and  if  there  is 
any  good  in  me,  I  ascribe  it  to  the 
exercise  of  recommending  myself  to 
God."  Do  you  likewise  do  the  same; 
ask  of  God  his  graces  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  you  shall  obtain 
whatsoever  you  desire..  This  our 
Saviour  has  promised,  and  his  prom 
ise  cannot  fail:  "Amen,  amen,  I  say 


Acquiring  Perfection        157 

to  you,  if  you  ask  the  Father  any 
thing  in  my  name,  he  will  give  it  you." 
(John,  xvi.  23.) 

In  a  word,  all  mental  prayer 
should  consist  in  acts  and  petitions. 
Hence  the  Venerable  Sister  Mary 
Crucified,  while  in  an  ecstasy,  de 
clared  that  mental  prayer  is  the 
respiration  of  the  soul;  for  as  by 
respiration  the  air  is  first  attracted 
and  afterward  given  back,  so  by 
petitions  the  soul  first  receives  grace 
from  God,  and  then  by  good  acts  of 
oblation  and  love  it  gives  itself  to 
him. 

In  finishing  the  meditation  it  is 
necessary  to  make  a  particular  reso 
lution;  as,  for  example,  to  avoid 
some  particular  defect  into  which  you 
have  more  frequently  fallen,  or  to 
practise  some  virtue,  such  as  to  suffer 
the  annoyance  that  you  receive  from 


158         Acquiring  Perfection 

a  fellowman,  to  obey  more  exactly 
a  certain  superior,  to  perform  some 
particular  act  of  mortification.  We 
must  repeat  the  same  resolution 
several  times  until  we  find  that  we 
have  got  rid  of  the  defect  or  acquired 
the  virtue.  Afterwards  reduce  to 
practise  the  resolutions  you  have 
made  as  soon  as  an  occasion  presents 
itself. 

The  conclusion  of  meditation  con 
sists  of  three  acts:  i.  In  thanking 
God  for  the  lights  received;  2.  In 
making  a  purpose  to  fulfil  the  reso 
lutions  made;  3.  In  asking  of  the 
eternal  Father  for  the  sake  of  Jesus 
and  Mary  grace  to  be  faithful  to 
them. 

Be  careful  never  to  omit  at  the  end 
of  meditation  to  recommend  to  God 
the  souls  in  Purgatory  and  poor 
sinners.  St.  John  Chrysostom  says 


Acquiring  Perfection         159 

that  nothing  more  clearly  shows  the 
love  of  a  soul  for  Jesus  Christ  than 
her  zeal  in  recommending  her 
brethren  to  him.  (Contra  Anom. 
horn.  6.) 

St.  Francis  de  Sales  remarks  that 
in  leaving  mental  prayer  we  should 
take  with  us  a  nosegay  of  flowers,  in 
order  to  smell  them  during  the  day; 
that  is,  we  should  remember  one  or 
two  points  in  which  we  felt  particular 
devotion  in  order  to  excite  our  fer 
vor  during  the  day. 

The  ejaculations  that  are  dearest 
to  God  are  those  of  love,  of  resig 
nation,  of  oblation  of  ourselves. 
Let  us  endeavor  not  to  perform  any 
action  without  first  offering  it  to  God, 
and  not  to  allow  at  the  most  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  to  pass,  in  whatever  occu 
pations  we  may  find  ourselves,  with 
out  raising  the  heart  to  the  Lord  by 


160        Acquiring  Perfection 

some  good  act.  Moreover,  in  our 
leisure  time,  such  as  when  we  are 
waiting  for  a  person,  or  when  we 
walk  in  the  garden,  or  are  confined  to 
bed  by  sickness,  let  us  endeavor  to  the 
best  of  our  ability  to  unite  ourselves 
to  God.  It  is  also  necessary  by 
observing  silence,  by  seeking  solitude 
as  much  as  possible,  and  by  remem 
bering  the  presence  of  God,  to  pre 
serve  the  pious  sentiments  conceived 
in  meditation. 

I  here  add,  that  in  order  to  be  a 
soul  of  prayer,  a  Christian  must 
resist  with  fortitude  all  temptations 
to  discontinue  mental  prayer  in  the 
time  of  aridity.  St.  Teresa  has  left  us 
very  excellent  instructions  on  this 
point.  In  one  place  she  says :  "I  hold 
for  certain  that  the  Lord  will  conduct 
to  the  haven  of  salvation  the  soul  that 
perseveres  in  mental  prayer,  in  spite 


Acquiring  Perfection         161 

of  all  the  sins  that  the  devil  may 
oppose."  (Life,  ch.  8.)  In  another 
place  she  says:  "The  devil  knows 
that  he  has  lost  the  soul  that 
perseveringly  practises  mental 
prayer."  (Life,  ch.  19.)  Again 
she  says:  "He  that  does  not 
stop  in  the  way  of  mental  prayer, 
reaches  the  end  of  his  journey, 
though  he  should  delay  a  little." 
(Life,  ch.  19.)  "The  love  of  God 
does  not  consist  in  experiencing 
tender  affections,  but  in  serving  him 
with  courage  and  humility."  (Life, 
ch.  ii.) 

Finally  she  concludes,  saying:  "By 
aridity  and  temptations  the  Lord 
proves  his  lovers.  Though  aridity 
should  last  for  life,  let  not  the  soul 
give  up  prayer:  the  time  will  come 
when  all  will  be  well  rewarded." 
(Life,  ch.  11.) 


1 62         Acquiring  Perfection 

The  Angelic  Doctor  says  that  true 
devotion  consists  not  in  feeling,  but  in 
the  desire  and  resolution  to  embrace 
promptly  all  that  God  wills.  (2.  2.  q. 
82.  a.  i.)  Such  was  the  prayer  that 
Jesus  Christ  made  in  the  garden;  it 
was  all  full  of  aridity  and  tediousness, 
but  it  was  the  most  devout  and  meri 
torious  prayer  that  had  ever  been 
offered  in  this  world:  it  consisted  of 
these  words:  "Not  what  I  will,  but 
what  thou  wilt."  (Mark,  xiv,  36.) 

Dear  Christian,  never  give  up 
mental  prayer  in  the  time  of  aridity. 
Should  the  tediousness  that  assails 
you  be  very  great,  divide  your  medi 
tations  into  several  parts,  and  employ 
yourself  for  the  most  part  in  petitions 
to  God,  even  though  you  should  seem 
to  pray  without  confidence  and  with 
out  fruit.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  say 
and  repeat:  "My  Jesus,  mercy." 


Acquiring  Perfection         163 

"Lord,  have  mercy  on  me."  Pray, 
and  doubt  not  that  God  will  hear  you 
and  grant  your  petitions. 

And  in  going  to  meditation,  never 
propose  to  yourself,  your  own 
pleasure  and  satisfaction,  but  only 
to  please  God,  and  to  learn  what  he 
wishes  you  to  do.  And  for  this  pur 
pose  pray  always  that  God  may  make 
known  to  you  his  will,  and  that  he 
may  give  you  strength  to  fulfil  it.  All 
that  we  ought  to  seek  in  mental 
prayer  is  light  to  know  and  strength 
to  accomplish  the  will  of  God  in  our 
regard. 

PRAYER 

Ah !  my  Jesus,  it  appears  that  Thou 
couldst  do  nothing  more,  in  order  to 
gain  the  love  of  men.  It  is  enough  to 
know  that  Thou  hast  wished  to  be 
come  man;  that  is,  to  become  like  us, 


164        Acquiring  Perfection 

a  worm.  Thou  hast  wished  to  lead 
a  painful  life,  of  thirty-three  years, 
amid  sorrow  and  ignominies,  and  in 
the  end  to  die  on  an  infamous  gibbet. 
Thou  hast  also  wished  to  remain 
under  the  appearance  of  bread,  in 
order  to  become  the  food  of  our 
souls;  and  how  is  it  possible  that 
Thou  hast  received  so  much  ingrati 
tude,  even  from  Christians  that  be 
lieve  these  truths  and  still  love  Thee 
so  little?  Unhappy  me!  I  have 
hitherto  been  among  those  ungrateful 
souls;  I  have  attended  only  to  my 
pleasures,  and  have  been  forgetful  of 
Thee  and  of  Thy  love.  I  now  know 
the  evil  I  have  done ;  but  I  repent  of 
it  with  my  whole  heart;  my  Jesus, 
pardon  me.  I  now  love  Thee;  I  love 
Thee  so  ardently  that  I  choose 
death,  and  a  thousand  deaths,  rather 
than  cease  to  love  Thee.  I  thank 


Acquiring  Perfection         165 

Thee  for  the  light  that  Thou  hast 
given  me.  Give  me  strength,  O  God 
of  my  soul,  always  to  advance  in  Thy 
love.  Accept  this  poor  heart  to  love 
Thee.  It  is  true  that  it  has  once 
despised  Thee,  but  now  it  is  en 
amoured  of  Thy  goodness;  it  loves 
Thee  and  desires  only  to  love  Thee. 
O  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  assist 
me;  in  thy  intercession  I  place  great 
confidence. 


CONCLUSION 

REV.  GERARD  TILLAMANN, 
C.SS.R.,  in  his  book,  Das 
Gebet,  Vol.  II,  speaks  of  dif 
ferent  methods  of  meditation.  He 
has  a  number  of  chapters  on 
the  methods  of  meditation  of 
the  Fathers  of  the  Desert,  of 
St.  Bonaventure,  St.  Peter  of  Alcan 
tara,  St.  Ignatius  and  St.  Francis  de 
Sales.  Of  the  above  method  of  St. 
Alphonsus  he  says  it  is  the  easiest  and 
simplest.  The  distinctive  mark  of 
the  method  of  St.  Alphonsus  is  that 
the  Saint  insists  in  a  most  especial 
manner  on  making  frequent  and 
fervent  acts  of  petition.  The  Saint 
166 


Conclusion  167 

regards  this  as  the  most  important 
and  useful  part.  Ven.  Fr.  Passerat, 
C.SS.R.,  said  on  one  occasion,  uYou 
complain  you  cannot  meditate.  Well, 
then,  propound  to  yourself  these 
four  questions:  What  did  I  read? 
What  conclusion  must  I  draw? 
What  have  I  done  hitherto?  What 
must  I  do  in  future?  Strive  to 
answer  these  questions  the  best 
way  you  can  and  you  will 
have  made  an  excellent  meditation." 
From  all  this  it  becomes  clear  that 
in  meditation  we  employ  the  three 
faculties  of  the  soul.  The  memory 
recalls  the  subject  of  consideration. 
The  intellect  thinks  the  matter  over. 
The  will  utilizes  it  for  acts  of  faith, 
charity,  humility  and  petition,  etc. 

In  connection  herewith  it  may  be 
remarked  that  many  complain  of  the 
difficulty  of  remaining  recollected. 


1 68  Conclusion 

The  distractions  that  assail  us  are 
incessant.  What  is  the  remedy? 
Endeavor  to  have  some  method  or 
rule  to  guide  you.  For  instance  make 
an  act  of  contrition,  a  spiritual  com 
munion  and  a  short  salutation  to  Our 
Lady  every  quarter  of  an  hour.  The 
latter  also  may  be  short,  as:  Sweet 
Heart  of  Mary,  be  my  salvation. 
Every  act  of  true  sorrow  is  according 
to  St.  Thomas  an  act  of  love.  (Fr. 
Boumanns,  (C.SS.R.) 

SALVE  REGINA 

Hail,  holy  Queen,  mother  of 
mercy,  our  life,  our  sweetness  and  our 
hope,  hail!  To  thee  do  we  cry,  poor 
banished  children  of  Eve;  to  thee  do 
we  send  up  our  sighs,  mourning  and 
weeping  in  this  valley  of  tears!  Turn 
then,  most  gracious  advocate,  thine 


Conclusion  169 

eyes  of  mercy  toward  us,  and  after 
this  our  exile,  show  unto  us  the 
blessed  fruit  of  thy  womb  Jesus.  O 
clement,  O  merciful,  O  sweet  Virgin 
Mary. 


PRINTED    BY    BENZIGER    BROTHERS,    NEW    YORK 


Standard  Catholic  Books 

PUBLISHED   BY 

BENZIQECR    BROTHERS 

CINCINNATI:    NEW  YORK:      CHICAGO: 
243  Main  St.  36-38  Barclay  St.    214-216  W.Monros  St. 


Books  marked  net  are  such  where  ten  per  cent. 
must  be  added  for  postage.  Thus  a  book  adver 
tised  as  net,  $1.00,  will  be  sent  postpaid  on  receipt 
of  $1.10.  Books  not  marked  net  will  be  sent  post 
paid  on  receipt  of  advertised  price. 


DOCTRINE,  INSTRUCTION,  DEVOTION, 

MEDITATION,    HISTORY, 

SCIENCE,  ETC. 

ABANDONMENT  TO  DIVINE   PROVIDENCE.     Caussade. 

net,  0  50 
ADORATION  OF  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.    Tesniere. 

net,  1  25 

ANECDOTES  AND  EXAMPLES  ILLUSTRATING  CATHOLIC 
CATECHISM.     Spirago.  net,  1  50 

ANGELS  OF  THE  SANCTUARY.     Musser.  0  25 

ANGLICAN  ORDINATIONS.     Semple.  net,  0  35 

ART  OF  PROFITING  BY  OUR  FAULTS.     Tissot. 

net,  0  50 
ASSERTIO  SEPTEM   SACRAMENTORUM.     O'Donovan. 

net,  2  00 
AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF    ST.    IGNATIUS.      O'Conor. 

net,  1   25 

BEGINNINGS  OF  CHRISTIANITY.     Shahan.     net,  2  00 
BENEDICENDA.     Schulte.  net,  1  50 

BLOSSOMS  OF  THE  CROSS.     Giehrl.  1  25 

BOOK  OF  THE  PROFESSED.     Vols.   I,  II,  III. 

each,  net,  0  75 

BOY-SAVER'S  GUIDE.     Quin.  net,  1   35 

BUDS  AND  BLOSSOMS.     Colton.  net,  1  25 

CASES  OF  CONSCIENCE.     Vols.  I  and  II.     Slater. 

net,  3  50 
CATECHISM  EXPLAINED.     Spirago.  net,  2  50 

1 


CATHOLIC  BELIEF.    Faa  di  Bruno.    Paper,  net,  0  10 

Cloth,  net,  0  35 

CATHOLIC  CEREMONIES.    Durand.    Paper,  net,  0  15 

Cloth,  net,  0  35 

CATHOLIC  HOME  ANNUAL.  0  25 

CATHOLIC    PRACTICE    AT    CHURCH    AND    AT    HOME. 
Klauder.     Paper,  net,  0.20;   Cloth,  net,  0  40 

CEREMONIAL   FOR  ALTAR  BOYS.    Britt.         net,  0  35 
CHARACTERISTICS  OF  TRUE  DEVOTION.    Grou. 

net,  0  75 

CHRISTIAN  APOLOGETICS.     Devivier.  net,  2  00 

CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION.     O'Connell.  net,  0  60 

CHRISTIAN   FATHER.     Cramer.          Paper,  net,  0  13 

Cloth,  net,  0  25 

CHRISTIAN  MOTHER.    Cramer.  Paper,  net,  0  13 

Cloth,  net,  0  25 

CHRIST'S   TEACHING   CONCERNING   DIVORCE.     Gigot. 

net,  I  50 

CHRISTIAN   MYSTERIES.     4  vols.     Bonomelli-Byrne. 

net,  5  00 

CHRIST  IN  TYPE  AND  PROPHECY.     Vols.  I  and  IT. 

Maas.  net,  4  00 

CHURCH  TREASURER'S  PEW  COLLECTION  AND  RECEIPT 

BOOK.  net,  1  00 

COME,  LET  Us  ADORE.     Hammer.  0  75 

COMMANDMENTS  AND  SACRAMENTS,  INSTRUCTIONS  ON. 

Liguori.  Paper,  net,  0  13 

COMPENDIUM   JURIS   CANONICI.     Smith.      net,  2  00 

COMPENDIUM  SACR.K  LITURGI.S:.     Wapelhorst. 

net,  2  50 
COMPENDIUM  JURIS  REGULARIUM.     Bachofen. 

net,  2  50 
CONCORDANCE  OF  HOLY  SCRIPTURES.     Williams. 

net,  3  50 

CONFESSIONAL,  THE.     Wirth.  net,  1  00 

CONSECRANDA.     Schulte.  net,  1  50 

CORRECT  THING  FOR  CATHOLICS.     Bugg.     net,  0  75 
COUNSELS  OF  ST.  ANGELA.  net,  0  25 

DATA  OF  MODERN  ETHICS  EXAMINED.     Ming. 

net,  2  00 

DEVOTIONS  TO  THE  SACRED  HEART  FOR  FIRST  FRI 
DAYS.     Huguet.  net,  0  40 
DEVOTIONS  TO  THE  SACRED  HEART  OF  JESUS.  Noldin. 

net,  1  25 
DIGNITY  AND  DUTIES  OF  A  PRIEST.     Liguori. 

net,  1  50 

DIVINE  GRACE.     Wirth.  net    1  60 

DOGMATIC   THEOLOGY.      Vols.    I,   II,    III.     Hunter. 
Each,  net,  1  50 

2 


EDUCATION  OF  OUR  GIRLS.     Shields.          net,  1  00 
ELEMENTS  OF  ECCLESIASTICAL  LAW.   Vols.  I,  II,  III. 
Smith.     Each,  net,  2  50 

ENCYCLICAL  LETTERS  OF  POPE  LEO  XIII.  net,  2  25 
EUCHARISTIC  CHRIST,  THE.  Tesniere.  net,  1  25 
EXPLANATION  OF  BIBLE  HISTORY.  Nash,  net,  1  60 
EXPLANATION  OF  THE  COMMANDMENTS.  Rolfus. 

net,   1  00 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  CREED.  net,  1  00 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  GOSPELS  AND  CATHOLIC  WOR 
SHIP.  Lambert.  Paper,  net,  0.15;    Cloth,  net,  0  35 
EXPLANATION  OF  THE  HOLY   SACRAMENTS.     Rolfus. 

net,  1  00 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  MASS.     Cochem.       net,  1  25 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  OUR  FATHER  AND  THE  HAIL 

MARY.  net,  0  75 

EXPLANATIONS    OF    THE   PRAYERS    AND    CEREMONIES 

OF  MASS.     Lanslots.  net,  1  25 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  SALVE  REGINA.     Liguori. 

net,  0  75 

EXTREME  UNCTION.  0  10 

FLOWERS  OF  THE  PASSION.  0  50 

FOR  FREQUENT  COMMUNICANTS.    Roche.  0  05 

FOUR  LAST  THINGS.     Cochem.  net,  0  75 

GENERAL  CONFESSION  MADE  EASY.     Konings.     0  15 
GENERAL   INTRODUCTION    TO   THE   STUDY   OF    SCRIP 
TURES.     Gigot.  net,  2  50 
GENERAL    INTRODUCTION   TO   THE   STUDY   OF   SCRIP 
TURES.     Abridged.     Gigot.  net,   1   50 
GENERAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  THE  RELIGIOUS  LIFE.    Ver- 
heyen.                                                                 net,  0  30 
GENTLEMAN,  A.     Egan.  net,  0  71 
GIFT  OF  THE  KING.  0  60 
GLORIES  OF  DIVINE  GRACE.     Scheeben.       net,   1  60 
GLORIES  OF  MARY.    Vols.  I  and  II.     Liguori. 

net,  3  00 

GLORIES  AND  TRIUMPHS  OF  THE  CHURCH. 
GOD,  CHRIST  AND  THE  CHURCH.     Hammer.         2  00 
GOD  KNOWABLE  AND  KNOWN.     Ronayne.    net,  1   50 
GOFFINE'S  DEVOUT  INSTRUCTIONS.  1   00 

GOLDEN   SANDS.     3  vols.     Each,  net,  0  50 

GREAT  MEANS  OF  SALVATION.  Liguori.  net,  1  50 
GREAT  SUPPER.  Coube.  net,  1  25 

GREETINGS  TO  THE  CHRIST  CHILD.  0  60 

GROWTH     AND     DEVELOPMENT     OF     THE     CATHOLIC 
SCHOOL  SYSTEM  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES.     Burns. 

net,  1   75 
GUIDE  FOR  SACRISTANS.  net,  0  85 


HARMONY  OF  THE  RELIGIOUS  LIFE.     Heuser. 

net,  1   25 

HELPS  TO  A   SPIRITUAL  LIFE.     Schneider-Girardey. 

net,   1   25 

HIDDEN  TREASURE.  Blessed  Leonard.  net,  0  50 
HISTORY  OF  AMERICAN  COLLEGE.  Brann.  net,  2  00 
HISTORY  OF  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH.  Businger.  2  00 
HISTORY  OF  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH.  Brueck.  2  vols. 

net,  3  00 

HISTORY  OF  THE  CATHOLIC  SCHOOL  SYSTEM  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES.     Burns.  net,  1  75 

HISTORY  OF  ECONOMICS.     Dewe.  net,  1   50 

HISTORY  OF  THE  MASS.     O'Brien.  net,  1   25 

HISTORY  OF   THE  PROTESTANT   REFORMATION.    Cob- 
bet,  net,  0  75 
HOLY  EUCHARIST  AND  FREQUENT  AND  DAILY  COM 
MUNION.     O'Connell.  net,  0  60 
HOLY  EUCHARIST.     Liguori.  net,   1  50 
HOLY  MASS.     Liguori.                                      net,  1   50 
HOLY    SACRIFICE    OF   THE   MASS   WORTHILY    CELE 
BRATED,                                                          net,  1  50 
HOLY  VIATICUM  OF  LIFE  AS  OF  DEATH.     Dever 

net,  0  75 

HOMILIES  FOR  THE  WHOLE  YEAR.     6  vols.     Bono- 
melli-Byrne.  net,  7  50 

How  TO  COMFORT  THE  SICK.  Krebs.  net,  1  25 
How  TO  MAKE  THE  MISSION.  0  10 

How  TO  GET  ON.     Feeney.  net,  1  00 

INCARNATION,    BIRTH    AND    INFANCY    OF    CHRIST. 
Liguori.  net,   1   50 

INDEX  TO  LIGUORI  WORKS.  net,  0  10 

IN  HEAVEN  WE  KNOW  OUR  OWN.  net,  0  60 

INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  FIRST  COMMUNICANTS.    Schmitt. 

net,  0  60 
INSTRUCTIONS   ON   MARRIAGE.     Girardey.      Paper, 

net,  0.13;  Cloth,  net,  0  25 

INSTRUCTIONS  TO  PARENTS.     Girardey.     Paper, 

net,  0.13;  Cloth,  net,  0  25 

INSTRUCTIONS  ON  PRAYER.     Girardey.     Paper, 

net,  0.13;  Cloth,  net.  0  25 

INTERIOR  OF  JESUS  AND  MARY.     2  vols.     Grou. 

net,  2  00 
JESUS  LIVING  IN  THE  PRIEST.     Millet-Byrne. 

net,  2  00 

LADY,  A.     Bugg.  net,  0  75 

LAW  OF  CHURCH  AND  GRAVE.  Scanlan.  net,  1  35 
LAWS  OF  THE  KING.  0  60 

LESSONS  »F  THE  KING.  0  60 


LETTERS  OF  ST.  ALPHONSUS  LIGUORI.    5  vols.    Each, 

net,  1  50 

LIFE    OF   THE    BLESSED    VIRGIN.     Rohner-Brennan. 

net,   1   25 

LIFE  OF  CHRIST.     Businger-Brennan.         net,  10  00 
LIFE  OF  CHRIST.      Cochem-IIammer.  net,   1   25 

LIFE  OF  POPE  Pius  X. 

LIFE  OF  ST.  CATHERINE  OF  SIENNA.  1  00 

LIFE  OF  SISTER  ANNE  KATHARINE  EMMERICH.  Mc- 
Gowan.  net,  1  75 

LIFE  OF  VENERABLE  CRESCENTIA  Hoss.       net,  1  2 
LIGHT  FOR  NEW  TIMES.     Fletcher.  net,  0  60 

LITTLE  COMMUNICANT.     Hammer. 
LITTLE  MASS  BOOK.     Lynch.  0   10 

MORAL   PRINCIPLES   AND   MEDICAL  PRACTICE.     Cop- 
pens,  net,  1  00 
MORE  SHORT  SPIRITUAL  READINGS.    Madame  Cecilia. 

net,  1  25 

MY  FIRST  CATECHISM.     O'Brien.  0  05 

MY  FIRST  COMMUNION.     Buchmann.  net,  0  7a 

MY  PRAYER-BOOK.     Lasance. 

NEW  TESTAMENT.     Plain  edition.  net,  0 

India  paper  edition,  net,  0  8 

Illustrated    edition,  net,  0  60 

OUR  OWN  WILL.     Allen.  net,  0  85 

OUTLINES  OF  NEW  TESTAMENT  HISTORY.     Gigot. 

net,  1   50 

OUTLINES  OF  SERMONS  FOR  YOUNG  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 
Wirth.  net,  2  00 

PARADISE  ON   EARTH.     Natale.  net,  0  50 

PARISH   CENSUS   BOOK.  net,  2  00 

PARISH   PRIEST  ON  DUTY.     Heuser.  net,  0  60 

PASSION  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST.    Liguori.    net,  1   50 
PATRON    SAINTS.     Vols.    I,    II,    III.     Mannix. 

Each,  0  60 

PATRON  SAINTS.  Sts.  Agnes,  Aloysius,  Anne,  An 
thony,  Blase,  Bernard,  Bridget,  Catherine,  Cecilia, 
Charles,  Clare,  Elizabeth,  Francis  Xavier,  Helena, 
Joseph,  Louis,  Margaret,  Martin  of  Tours, 
Michael,  Monica,  Patrick,  Philip  Neri,  Rose  of 
Lima,  Teresa.  Each,  0  10 

PEARLS  FROM    FABER.     Brunowe.  net,  0  50 

PERFECT   RELIGIOUS.     D'Orleans   de   la   Motte. 

net,  1  00 

PHILOSOPHIA  MORALI.     Russo.  net,  2  00 

POLITICAL  AND  MORAL  ESSAYS.     Rickaby.    net,  1 
PRACTICAL  CATHOLIC.     Palau-Ryan. 
PRACTICAL  GUIDE  TO  INDULGENCES.     Bernad.     0  75 


PRAYER-BOOK  FOR  RELIGIOUS.  Lasance.  net,  1  SO 
PRAXIS  SYNODALIS.  net,  0  75 

PREACHING.     Liguori.  net,  1   50 

PRIEST  IN  THE  PULPIT.     Schuech.  net,  1  75 

PRIVATE  RETREAT  FOR  RELIGIOUS.    Geiermann. 

net,  1   50 

RIGHTS  OF  OUR  LITTLE  ONES.     Conway.  0  10 

QUEEN'S  FESTIVALS.  0  60 

REASONABLENESS    OF    CATHOLIC     CEREMONIES    AND 

PRACTICES.     Burke.     Paper,  net,  0.13;   Cloth, 

net,  0  25 

REGISTRUM   BAPTISMORUM.  net,  3  50 

REGISTRUM  MATRIMONIORUM.  net,  3  50 

RELATION  OF  PSYCHOLOGY  TO  PHILOSOPHY.    Mercier- 

Wirth.  net,  0  35 

RELIGIOUS  STATE.     Liguori.  net,  0  50 

RETREATS   FOR   SISTERS.     Wirth.  net,  1  00 

REVELATION    OF    THE    SACRED    HEART    TO    BLESSED 

MARGARET   MARY.     Bougaud.  net,  1   50 

RITUALE  COMPENDIOSUM.  net,  0  90 

ROSARY,  THE.     Garesche.  net,  0  50 

ROSARY,  THE  CROWN  OF  MARY.  0  10 

RULES  OF  LIFE  FOR  THE  PASTOR  OF  SOULS.    Rauch- 

Slater.  net,  1   25 

SACRAMENTALS.     Lambing.     Paper,  net,  0  15 

Cloth,  net,  0  35 
SACRED  HEART  STUDIED  IN  THE  SACRED  SCRIPTURES. 

Santrain.  net,  2  00 

ST.  ANTHONY.     Keller.  net,  0  75 

ST.    ANTHONY,    SAINT    OF    THE    WHOLE    WORLD. 

Ward.  net,  0  75 

SAINT  FRANCIS  OF  ASSISI:   SOCIAL  REFORMER.    Du- 

bois.  net,   1   00 

SANCTUARY  BOYS  ILLUSTRATED  MANUAL.    McCallen. 

net,  0  50 

SECRET  OF  SANCTITY.     Crasset.  net,  1  00 

SERMONS  FOR  CHILDREN  OF  MARY.     Callerio-Clarke. 

net,  1   50 
SERMONS     FOR     CHILDREN'S     MASSES       Frassinetti- 

Lings.  net,  1  50 

SERMONS  FOR  SUNDAYS.     Liguori.  net,  1  50 

SERMONS    FOR     SUNDAYS    AND     CHIEF     FESTIVALS. 

Pottgeisser.  net,  3  00 

SERMONS  FROM  THE  LATINS.  Baxter.  net,  2  00 
SERMONS,  FUNERAL.  2  vols.  Wirth.  Each,  net,  1  00 
SERMONS,  HUNOLT.  Complete  Edition.  12  vols. 

net,  25  00 
SERMONS,  LENTEN.    Wirth.  net,  2  00 


SERMONS.    NEW  AND  OLD.    Wirth.    8  vols.    Each, 

net,  2  00 

SERMONS   ON    THE    BLESSED    SACRAMENT.    Sheurer- 

Lasance.  net,  1   SO 

SERMONS    ON    DEVOTION    TO    THE    SACRED    HEART. 

Bierbaum.  net,  0  75 

SERMONS   FOR   Low   MASSES.      Schouppe-McGinley. 

net,  1   25 

SERMONS,  SHORT.     Hunolt.     5  vols.  net,  2  00 

SHORT  HISTORY  OF  MORAL  THEOLOGY.     Slater. 

net,  0  50 

SHORT  STORIES  ON  CHRISTIAN  DOCTRINE,    net,  1  00 
SOCIALISM  AND   CHRISTIANITY.     Stang.      net,  1  00 
SOCIALISM:  ITS  THEORETICAL  BASIS  AND  PRACTICAL 
APPLICATION.     Cathrein-Gettelman.  net,  1  50 

SOCIALISM,     RELIGION     AND    CHARACTERISTICS    OF. 
Ming.  net,  1   50 

SOCIALISM,  MORALITY  OF  MODERN.   Ming,   net,  1  50 
SPECIAL  INTRODUCTION   TO   STUDY   OF   OLD   TESTA 
MENT.    Part   I.    Gigot.  net,  1  50 
SPECIAL  INTRODUCTION   TO   STUDY   OF   OLD   TESTA 
MENT.    Part  II.    Gigot.                               net,  2  00 
SPIRAGO'S  METHOD  OF  CHRISTIAN  DOCTRINE.    Mess- 
mer.  net,  1  50 
SPIRITUAL  CONSIDERATIONS.    Buckler.         net,  1  25 
SPIRITUAL  DESPONDENCY  AND  TEMPTATIONS.  Michel- 
Garesche.  net,  1  25 
SPIRITUAL  EXERCISES  FOR  A  TEN   DAYS'   RETREAT. 
Smetana.                                                         net,  1  00 
SPIRIT  OF  SACRIFICE.     Giraud-Thurston.     net,  2  00 
SPOILING  THE  DIVINE  FEAST.     Zulueta.  0  05 
STORIES  FOR  FIRST  COMMUNICANTS.    Keller. 

net,  0  50 

STORY  OF  THE  DIVINE  CHILD.    Lings.  0  60 

STORY  OF  THE  FRIENDS  OF  JESUS.  0  60 

STORIES  AND  MIRACLES  OF  OUR  LORD.  0  60 

STRIVING  AFTER  PERFECTION.     Bayma.       net,  1  00 
SUNDAY  SCHOOL  DIRECTOR'S  GUIDE.     Sloan. 

net,  1  00 
SUNDAY   SCHOOL   TEACHER'S   GUIDE.      Sloan. 

net,  0  75 

SURE  WAY  TO  A  HAPPY  MARRIAGE.  Paper,  net,  0  13 

Cloth,  net,  0  25 

TALKS  ABOUT  THE  APOSTLES'  CREED.  0  60 

THEORY  AND  PRACTICE  OF  CONFESSIONAL.     Schieler- 

Heuser.  net,  3  50 

THOUGHTS  AND  AFFECTIONS  ON  PASSION  OF  CHRIST. 

Bergamo.  net,  2  00 


THOUGHTS  AND  COUNSELS  FOR  YOUNG  MEN.    WirtH. 

net,  1  25 
TRAINING  OF  CHILDREN  IN  THEIR  TEENS.     Madame 

Cecilia.  net,  1   25 

TRUE  POLITENESS.     Demore.  net,  0  75 

TRUE  SPOUSE  OF  CHRIST.     2  vols.     Liguori.     Each, 

net,  1   50 

VENERATION  OF  BLESSED  VIRGIN.    Rohner-Brennan. 

net,  1  25 

VICTORIES  OF  THE  MARTYRS.     Liguori.       net,  1   50 
VISIT  TO  EUROPE  AND  THE  HOLY  LAND.     Fairbanks. 

1  50 

VOCATIONS  EXPLAINED.  0  10 

WAY  OF  THE  CROSS.      Paper,  0  05 

WAY  OF  THE  CROSS.        Eucharistic      Method. 

Paper,  0  10 

WAY  OF  THE  CROSS.      Method    of    St.    Francis    of 

Assisi.     Paper,  0   10 

WAY  OF  THE  CROSS.     Jesuit  Method.     Paper,  0  10 
WAY  OF  THE  CROSS.    Method  of  St.  Alphonsus. 

Liguori.      Paper,  0  10 

WAY  OF  SALVATION  AND  PERFECTION.    Liguon. 

net,  1  50 

WAY  OF  INTERIOR  PEACE.    De  Lehen.          net,  1  50 
\VHAT  CATHOLICS  HAVE  DONE  FOR  SCIENCE.    Bren- 

nan.  net    1   25 

WHAT    THE    CHURCH    TEACHES.      Drury.      Paper, 

net,  0.20;  Cloth,  net,  0  40 

WHAT  TIMES!    WHAT  MORALS!    Semple.    net,  0  35 
WITH  CHRIST,  MY  FRIEND.     Sloan.  net,  0  75 

WITH  GOD.     Lasance. 

NOVELS 

AGATHA'S  HARD   SAYING.     Rosa  Mulholland.     1  25 

BACK  TO  THE  WORLD.     Champol.  net,  1  33 

BEST  STORIES  BY  THE  FOREMOST  CATHOLIC  AUTHORS. 

10    vols.    $3.00    in    connection    with    Benziger  s 

Magazine.  c 

BIT  OF  OLD  IVORY,  A. 

BLACK  BROTHERHOOD.     Garrold.  net,  1  35 

BOND  AND  FREE.     Connor.  net,  0  75 

BUT  THY  LOVE  AND  THY  GRACE.     Finn.  1  00 

CARROLL  DARE.     Waggaman. 

CIRCUS  RIDER'S  DAUGHTER.     Brackel.  l  ^ 

CONNOR  D'ARCY'S  STRUGGLES.    Bertholds.  1  ^5 

CORINNE'S  Vow.     Waggaman.  1  %* 

DAUGHTER  OF  KINGS.     Hinkson.  1  ^ 

DION  AND  THE  SYBILS.     M.  Keon.  l  **> 

DOUBLE  KNOT. 


FABIOLA.     Wiseman.     4to.  6  00 

FABIOLA.     Wiseman.     12mo,  cloth,  0  75 

FABIOLA'S  SISTERS.     Clarke. 

FATAL  BEACON.     Brackel. 

FAUSTULA.     Ayscough.     .  net,  j  ^ 

FORGIVE  AND  FORGET.    Lmgen. 

FRIENDLY  LITTLE  HOME.  1  UU 

HEARTS  OF   GOLD.     Edhor.  1  25 

HEIRESS  OF  CRONENSTEIN.     Hahn-Hahn. 

HER  BLIND  FOLLY.     Holt. 

HER  FATHER'S  DAUGHTER.    Hinkson.  1  25 

IDOLS.     Navery. 

IN  THE  DAYS  OF  KING  HAL.    Taggart. 

IN  GOD'S  GOOD  TIME.     Ross.  net,  0  75 

"KIND  HEARTS  AND  CORONETS."    Harrison. 

LADY  OF  THE  TOWER. 

LADY  OF  THE  VIOLETS. 

LET  No  MAN  PUT  ASUNDER.     Marie. 

LIGHT  OF  His  COUNTENANCE.     Harte.       net,  0  75 

LITTLE  CARDINAL.     Parr. 

LINKED  LIVES.     Douglas. 

MARCELLA  GRACE.     Rosa  Mulholland. 

MARIAE  COROLLA.     Hill.  net,  1  25 

MELCHIOR  OF  BOSTON.     Earls. 

MIGHTY   FRIEND.     L'Ermite.  net,  1  35 

MIRROR  OF  SHALOTT.     Benson.  net,  I  ^5 

Miss  ERIN.     Francis.  1  25 

MONK'S  PARDON.     Navery.  1  *£ 

MR.  BILLY  BUTTONS.     Lecky. 

MY  LADY  BEATRICE.     Cooke.  net,  0  75 

NOT  A  JUDGMENT.     Keon. 

ONE  AFTERNOON  AND  OTHER  STORIES. 

OTHER  Miss  LISLE.     Martin.  net,  0  75 

OUT  OF  BONDAGE.     Holt. 

OUTLAW  OF  CAMARGUE.     De  Lamothe. 

PASSING  SHADOWS.     Yorke. 

PASSION   FLOWERS.     Hill.  net,  1  25 

PERE  MONNIER'S  WARD.     Lecky. 

FILKINGTON  HEIR.     Sadlier. 

PRISONERS'  YEARS.     Clarke.  net,  1  35 

PRODIGAL'S  DAUGHTER.     Bugg. 

RED  INN  AT  ST.  LYPHAR.     Sadlier. 

ROAD  BEYOND  THE  TOWN.     Earls.  net,  1  25 

ROMANCE  OF  A  PLAYWRIGHT.     Bornier. 

ROSE  OF  THE  WORLD.     Marten.  net,  0  75 

ROUND  TABLE  OF  GERMAN  CATHOLIC  NOVELISTS.   1  50 

ROUND  TABLE  OF  FRENCH  CATHOLIC  NOVELISTS.    1  50 

ROUND  TABLE  OF  AMERICAN  CATHOLIC  NOVELISTS. 

1  50 


ROUND    TABLE    OF    IRISH    AND    ENGLISH    CATHOLIC 
NOVELISTS.  1   50 

ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.     Vol.  I.  1  00 


ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.  Vol.  II. 

ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.  Vol.  III. 

ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.  Vol.  IV. 

ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.  Vol.  V. 

ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.  Vol.  VI. 


ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.     Vol.  VII. 

ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.     Vol.  VIII. 

ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.     Vol.  IX.  1  00 

ROUND  THE  WORLD  SERIES.     Vol.  X.  1  00 

RULER  OF  THE  KINGDOM.     Keon.  1  25 

SECRET  OF  THE  GREEN  VASE.     Cooke.  net,  0  75 

SENIOR  LIEUTENANT'S  WAGER. 

SHADOW  OF  EVERSLEIGH.     Lansdowne.  net,  0  75 

So  As  BY  FIRE.     Connor.  net,  0  75 

SOGGARTH  AROON.     Guinan. 

SON  OF  SIRO.     Copus. 

SONGS  AND  SONNETS.     Egan.  1  00 

STORY  OF  CECILIA.     Hinkson. 

STUORE.     Earls.  1  00 

TEMPEST  OF  THE  HEART.     Gray.  1  25 

TEST  OF  COURAGE.     Ross.  net,  0  75 

THAT  MAN'S  DAUGHTER.     Ross.  1  25 

THEIR  CHOICE.     Skinner.  1  00 

THROUGH  THE  DESERT.     Sienkiewicz.  net,  1  35 

TRAIL  OF  THE  DRAGON.  1  00 

TRAINING  OF  SILAS.     Devine.  1  25 

TRUE  STORY  OF  MASTER  GERARD.     Sadlier.  1  25 

TURN  OF  THE  TIDE.     Gray.  net,  0  75 

UNBIDDEN  GUEST.     Cooke.  net,  0  75 

UNDER  THE  CEDARS  AND  STARS.    Sheehan.  net,  2  00 

UNRAVELLING  OF  A  TANGLE.    Taggart.  1  25 

UP  IN  ARDMUIRLAND.     Barrett.  net,  1  35 

VOCATION  OF  EDWARD  CONWAY.    Egan.  1  25 

WARGRAVE  TRUST.     Reid.  1  25 

WAY  THAT  LED  BEYOND.     Harrison. 

WEDDING  BELLS  OF  GLENDALOUGH.  Earls,  net,       35 

WHEN  LOVE  Is  STRONG.    Keon. 

WHERE  THE  ROAD  LED. 

WOMAN  OF  FORTUNE.     Reid. 

WOMEN  OF  CATHOLICITY.     Sadlier.  00 

WORLD  WELL  LOST.     Robertson.  0  75 

JUVENILES 

ALTHEA.  Nirdlinger.  0  60 
ADVENTURE  WITH  THE  APACHES,  AN.  Ferry.  0  45 
As  GOLD  IN  THF  FURNACE.  Copus. 

10 


As  TRUE  AS  GOLD.     Mannix.  0  45 

ARMORER  OF  SOLINGEN.    Hercnenbach.  0  45 

BELL   FOUNDRY,  THE.     Schaching.  0  45 
BERKLEYS,  THE.     Wight. 
BEST  FOOT  FORWARD.     Finn. 

BETWEEN   FRIENDS.     Aumerle.  0  85 

BLACK  LADY,  THE.     Schmid.  0  25 

BISTOURI.     Melandri.  0  45 

BLISSYLVANIA  POST-OFFICE.     Taggart.  0  45 
BOB-O'-LINK.     Waggaman. 
BOYS  IN  THE  BLOCK.     Egan. 

BROWNIE  AND  I.     Aumerle.  0  85 
BUNT  AND  BILL.     C.  Mulholland. 
BUZZER'S  CHRISTMAS.     Waggaman. 

BY  BRANSCOME  RIVER.  Taggart.  0  45 
CAKE,  THE,  AND  THE  EASTER  EGGS.  Schmid.  0  25 
CANARY  BIRD,  THE,  AND  OTHER  TALES.  Schmid. 

0  45 

CAPTAIN  TED.  Waggaman.  0  60 
CAVE  BY  THE  BEECH  FORK,  THE.  Spalding.  0  85 

CHARLIE  CHITTYWICK.  Bearne.  0  85 
CHILDREN  OF  CUPA.  Mannix. 

CHILDREN  OF  THE  LOG  CABIN.  Delamare.  0  85 
CLARE  LORAINE.  "Lee." 

CLAUDE  LIGHTFOOT.  Finn.  0  85 
COLLEGE  BOY,  A.  Yorke. 

CUPA  REVISITED.     Mannix.  0  45 

DADDY  DAN.     Waggaman.  0  45 

DEAR  FRIENDS.     Nirdlineer.  0  60 

DIMPLING'S  SUCCESS.  C.  Mulholland.  0  45 
DOLLAR  HUNT,  THE.  E.  G.  Martin. 

ETHELRED  PRESTON.     Finn.  0  85 

EVERY-DAY  GIRL,  AN.    Crowley.  0  45 

FATAL  DIAMONDS,  THE.     Donnelly.  0  25 
FIVE  O'CLOCK  STORIES. 
FLOWER  OF  THE  FLOCK.     Egan. 
FOR  THE  WHITE  ROSE.     Hinkson. 

FREDDY  CARR'S  ADVENTURES.     Garrold.  0  85 

FREDDY  CARR  AND  His  FRIENDS.     Garrold.  0  85 

FRED'S  LITTLE  DAUGHTER.     S.  T.  Smith.  0  45 

GODFREY  THE  LITTLE  HERMIT.     Schmid.  0  25 

GOLDEN  LILY,  THE.  Hinkson.  0  45 
GREAT  CAPTAIN,  THE.  Hinkson. 

GUILD  BOYS  OF  RIDINGDALE.     Bearne.  0  85 

HALDEMAN   CHILDREN.  THE.     Mannix.  0  45 

HARMONY  FLATS.  Whitmire.  0  85 
HARRY  DEE.  Finn. 

HARRY  RUSSELL.     Copus.  0  85 

HEIR  OF  DREAMS,  AN.     O'Malley.  0  45 

11 


His  FIRST  AND  LAST  APPEARANCE.    Finn.  1  00 

HOP  BLOSSOMS,  THE.     Schmid.  0  25 

HOSTAGE  OF  WAR.     Bonesteel.  0  45 

How  THEY  WORKED  THEIR  WAY.     Egan.  0  75 

IN  QUEST  OF  THE  GOLDEN  CHEST.     Barton.  1   15 
INUNDATION,  THE,  AND  OTHER  TALES.    Herchenbach. 

0  45 

JACK.  '  0  45 

TACK  HILDRETH  ON  THE  NILE.     Taggart.  0  85 

TACK  O'LANTERN.     Waggaman.  0  45 

TUNIORS  OF  ST.  BEDE'S.     Bryson.  0  85 

TUVENILE  ROUND  TABLE.     First  Series.  1  00 

JUVENILE  ROUND  TABLE.     Second  Series.  1  00 

FUVENILE  ROUND  TABLE.     Third  Series.  1  00 

KLONDIKE  PICNIC,  A.     Donnelly.  0  85 

LAMP  OF  THE  SANCTUARY.     Wiseman.  0  25 
LEGENDS  AND  STORIES  OF  THE   CHILD  JESUS   FROM 

MANY   LANDS.     Lutz.  0  75 

LITTLE  APOSTLE  ON  CRUTCHES.     Delamare.  0  45 

LITTLE  GIRL  FROM  BACK  EAST.     Roberts.  0  45 

LITTLE  MISSY.     Waggaman.  0  45 

LOYAL  BLUE  AND  ROYAL  SCARLET.     Taggart.  0  85 

MADCAP  SET  AT  ST.  ANNE'S.     Brunowe.  0  45 

MAKING  OF  MORTLAKE.     Copus.  0  85 

MARKS  OF  THE  BEAR  CLAWS.     Spalding.  0  85 

MARY  TRACY'S  FORTUNE.     Sadlier.  0  45 

MASTER  FRIDOLIN.     Giehrl.  0  25 

MELOR  OF  THE  SILVER  HAND.     Bearne.  0  85 

MILLY  AVELING.     S.  T.  Smith.  0  85 

MORE  FIVE  O'CLOCK  STORIES.  0  75 

MOSTLY  BOYS.     Finn.  0  85 

MY  STRANGE  FRIEND.     Finn.  0  25 

MYSTERY  OF  CLEVERLY.     Barton.  0  85 

MYSTERIOUS  DOORWAY.     Sadlier.  0  45 

MYSTERY  OF  HORNBY  HALL.     Sadlier.  0  85 

NAN  NOBODY.     Waggaman.  0  45 

NED  RIEDER.     Wehs.  0  85 

NEW  BOYS  AT  RIDINGDALE.     Bearne.  0  85 

NEW  SCHOLAR  AT  ST.  ANNE'S.     Brunowe.  0  85 

OLD  CHARLMONT'S  SEED  BED.     S.  T.  Smith.  0  45 

OLD  MILL  ON  THE  WITHROSE.     Spalding.  0  85 

OLD  ROBBER'S  CASTLE.     Schmid.  0  25 

OUR  LADY'S  LUTENIST.     Bearne.  0  85 

OVERSEER  OF  MAHLBOURG.     Schmid.  0  25 

PANCHO  AND  PANCHITA.     Mannix.  0  45 

PAULINE  ARCHER.     Sadlier.  0  45 

PERIL  OF  DIONYSIO.     Mannix.  0  45 

PERCY  WYNN.     Finn.  0  85 

PETRONILLA.     Donnelly.  0  85 

13 


PICKLE  AND  PEPPER.     Dorsey. 
PILGRIM  FROM  IRELAND.     Carnot. 
PLAYWATER  PLOT.     Waggaman. 
POVERINA.     Buckenham. 
QUEEN'S  PAGE.     Hinkson. 
QUEEN'S  PROMISE.     Waggaman. 
RACE  FOR  COPPER  ISLAND.     Spalding. 
RECRUIT  TOMMY  COLLINS.     Bonesteel. 

RlDINGDALE    FLOWER    SHOW.       BeamC. 

ROMANCE  OF  THE  SILVER  SHOON.     Bearne. 

ROSE  BUSH,  THE.     Schmid. 

SEA-GULLS'  ROCK.     Sandeau. 

SEVEN  LITTLE  MARSHALLS.     Nixon-Roulet. 

SEVEN  LITTLE  MARSHALLS  AT   THE  LAKE. 

Roulet. 

SHADOWS  LIFTED.     Copus. 
SHEER  PLUCK.     Bearne. 
SHERIFF  OF  THE  BEECH   FORK.     Spalding. 
ST.  CUTHBERT'S.     Copus. 
STRONG  ARM  OF  AVALON.     Waggaman. 
SUGAR-CAMP  AND  AFTER.     Spalding. 
SUMMER  AT  WOODVILLE.     Sadlier. 
TALES  AND  LEGENDS  OF  THB  MIDDLE  AGES. 


TALISMAN,  THE.     Sadlier. 

TAMING  OF  POLLY.     Dorsey. 

THAT  FOOTBALL  GAME.     Finn. 

THREE  GIRLS  AND  ESPECIALLY  ONE.    Taggart 

THREE  LITTLE  KINGS.     Giehrl. 

TOLD  IN  THE  TWILIGHT.     Mother  Salome. 

TOM  LOSELY:  BOY.     Copus. 

TOM'S  LUCK-POT.     Waggaman. 

TOM  PLAYFAIR.     Finn. 

TOORALLADDY.       Walsh. 

TRANSPLANTING  OF  TESSIE.     Waggaman. 
TREASURE  OF  NUGGET  MOUNTAIN.     Taggart. 
Two  LITTLE  GIRLS.     Mack. 
VIOLIN  MAKER,  THE.     Schaching. 
WAGER  OF  GERALD  O'RouRKE.    Play  adapted  from  a 
story  by  Father  Finn.  net,  0  35 

WAYWARD  WINIFRED.     Sadlier. 
WINNETOU  THE  APACHE  KNIGHT.     Taggart.      0  85 
WITCH  OF  RIDINGDALE.     Bearne. 
WRONGFULLY  ACCUSED.     Herchenbach.  0  45 

YOUNG  COLOR  GUARD.    Bonesteel.  0  45 


88 

0  60 
0  85 
0  45 
0  60 

0  85 
0  45 
0  85 
0  85 
0  25 
0  45 
0  45 
Nixon- 
0  85 
0  85 
0  85 
0  85 
0  85 
0  85 
0  85 
0  45 
Copella. 
0  75 
0  60 
0  85 
0  85 
0  45 
0  25 
0  85 
0  85 
0  45 
0  85 
0  45 
0  60 
0  85 
0  45 
0  45 


13 


59247